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Becker M, Fischer DJ, Kühn S, Gallinat J. Videogame training increases clinical well-being, attention and hippocampal-prefrontal functional connectivity in patients with schizophrenia. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:218. [PMID: 38806461 PMCID: PMC11133354 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02945-5] [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] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent research shows that videogame training enhances neuronal plasticity and cognitive improvements in healthy individuals. As patients with schizophrenia exhibit reduced neuronal plasticity linked to cognitive deficits and symptoms, we investigated whether videogame-related cognitive improvements and plasticity changes extend to this population. In a training study, patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls were randomly assigned to 3D or 2D platformer videogame training or E-book reading (active control) for 8 weeks, 30 min daily. After training, both videogame conditions showed significant increases in sustained attention compared to the control condition, correlated with increased functional connectivity in a hippocampal-prefrontal network. Notably, patients trained with videogames mostly improved in negative symptoms, general psychopathology, and perceived mental health recovery. Videogames, incorporating initiative, goal setting and gratification, offer a training approach closer to real life than current psychiatric treatments. Our results provide initial evidence that they may represent a possible adjunct therapeutic intervention for complex mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxi Becker
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Clinic and Policlinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Martinistrasse 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
- Humboldt-University Berlin, Department of Psychology, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Djo J Fischer
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Clinic and Policlinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Martinistrasse 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Simone Kühn
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Clinic and Policlinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Martinistrasse 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
- Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany.
- Max Planck-UCL Center for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Jürgen Gallinat
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Clinic and Policlinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Martinistrasse 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
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2
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Knolle F, Arumugham SS, Barker RA, Chee MWL, Justicia A, Kamble N, Lee J, Liu S, Lenka A, Lewis SJG, Murray GK, Pal PK, Saini J, Szeto J, Yadav R, Zhou JH, Koch K. A multicentre study on grey matter morphometric biomarkers for classifying early schizophrenia and parkinson's disease psychosis. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2023; 9:87. [PMID: 37291143 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-023-00522-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychotic symptoms occur in a majority of schizophrenia patients and in ~50% of all Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Altered grey matter (GM) structure within several brain areas and networks may contribute to their pathogenesis. Little is known, however, about transdiagnostic similarities when psychotic symptoms occur in different disorders, such as in schizophrenia and PD. The present study investigated a large, multicenter sample containing 722 participants: 146 patients with first episode psychosis, FEP; 106 individuals in at-risk mental state for developing psychosis, ARMS; 145 healthy controls matching FEP and ARMS, Con-Psy; 92 PD patients with psychotic symptoms, PDP; 145 PD patients without psychotic symptoms, PDN; 88 healthy controls matching PDN and PDP, Con-PD. We applied source-based morphometry in association with receiver operating curves (ROC) analyses to identify common GM structural covariance networks (SCN) and investigated their accuracy in identifying the different patient groups. We assessed group-specific homogeneity and variability across the different networks and potential associations with clinical symptoms. SCN-extracted GM values differed significantly between FEP and Con-Psy, PDP and Con-PD, PDN and Con-PD, as well as PDN and PDP, indicating significant overall grey matter reductions in PD and early schizophrenia. ROC analyses showed that SCN-based classification algorithms allow good classification (AUC ~0.80) of FEP and Con-Psy, and fair performance (AUC ~0.72) when differentiating PDP from Con-PD. Importantly, the best performance was found in partly the same networks, including the thalamus. Alterations within selected SCNs may be related to the presence of psychotic symptoms in both early schizophrenia and PD psychosis, indicating some commonality of underlying mechanisms. Furthermore, results provide evidence that GM volume within specific SCNs may serve as a biomarker for identifying FEP and PDP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Knolle
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Shyam S Arumugham
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India
| | - Roger A Barker
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Michael W L Chee
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Centre for Translational MR Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Azucena Justicia
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nitish Kamble
- Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India
| | - Jimmy Lee
- Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Psychosis, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore, Singapore
- Neuroscience and Mental Health, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Siwei Liu
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Centre for Translational MR Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Abhishek Lenka
- Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India
- Department of Neurology, Medstar Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Simon J G Lewis
- ForeFront Parkinson's Disease Research Clinic, Brain and Mind Centre, School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Graham K Murray
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Pramod Kumar Pal
- Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India
| | - Jitender Saini
- Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India
| | - Jennifer Szeto
- ForeFront Parkinson's Disease Research Clinic, Brain and Mind Centre, School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Ravi Yadav
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India
| | - Juan H Zhou
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Centre for Translational MR Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kathrin Koch
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
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Atwood B, Yassin W, Chan SY, Hall MH. Subfield-specific longitudinal changes of hippocampal volumes in patients with early-stage bipolar disorder. Bipolar Disord 2023; 25:301-311. [PMID: 36855850 PMCID: PMC10330583 DOI: 10.1111/bdi.13315] [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: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The hippocampus is a heterogeneous structure composed of biologically and functionally distinct subfields. Hippocampal aberrations are proposed to play a fundamental role in the etiology of psychotic symptoms. Bipolar disorder (BPD) has substantial overlap in symptomatology and genetic liability with schizophrenia (SZ), and reduced hippocampal volumes, particularly at the chronic illness stages, are documented in both disorders. Studies of hippocampal subfields in the early stage of BPD are limited and cross-sectional findings to date report no reduction in hippocampal volumes. To our knowledge, there have been no longitudinal studies of BPD evaluating hippocampal volumes in the early phase of illness. We investigated the longitudinal changes in hippocampal regions and subfields in BPD mainly and in early stage of psychosis (ESP) patients more broadly and compared them to those in controls (HC). METHODS Baseline clinical and structural MRI data were acquired from 88 BPD, from a total of 143 ESP patients, and 74 HCs. Of those, 66 participants (23 HC, 43 patients) completed a 12-month follow-up visit. The hippocampus regions and subfields were segmented using Freesurfer automated pipeline. RESULTS We found general baseline deficits in hippocampal volumes among BPD and ESP cohorts. Both cohorts displayed significant increases in the anterior hippocampal region and dentate gyrus compared with controls. Additionally, antipsychotic medications were positively correlated with the posterior region at baseline. CONCLUSION These findings highlight brain plasticity in BPD and in ESP patients providing evidence that deviations in hippocampal volumes are adaptive responses to atypical signaling rather than progressive degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce Atwood
- Psychosis Neurobiology Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorders Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Walid Yassin
- Psychosis Neurobiology Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shi Yu Chan
- Psychosis Neurobiology Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorders Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Mei-Hua Hall
- Psychosis Neurobiology Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorders Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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4
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Senay O, Seethaler M, Makris N, Yeterian E, Rushmore J, Cho KIK, Rizzoni E, Heller C, Pasternak O, Szczepankiewicz F, Westin C, Losak J, Ustohal L, Tomandl J, Vojtisek L, Kudlicka P, Kikinis Z, Holt D, Lewandowski KE, Lizano P, Keshavan MS, Öngür D, Kasparek T, Breier A, Shenton ME, Seitz‐Holland J, Kubicki M. A preliminary choroid plexus volumetric study in individuals with psychosis. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:2465-2478. [PMID: 36744628 PMCID: PMC10028672 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The choroid plexus (ChP) is part of the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier, regulating brain homeostasis and the brain's response to peripheral events. Its upregulation and enlargement are considered essential in psychosis. However, the timing of the ChP enlargement has not been established. This study introduces a novel magnetic resonance imaging-based segmentation method to examine ChP volumes in two cohorts of individuals with psychosis. The first sample consists of 41 individuals with early course psychosis (mean duration of illness = 1.78 years) and 30 healthy individuals. The second sample consists of 30 individuals with chronic psychosis (mean duration of illness = 7.96 years) and 34 healthy individuals. We utilized manual segmentation to measure ChP volumes. We applied ANCOVAs to compare normalized ChP volumes between groups and partial correlations to investigate the relationship between ChP, LV volumes, and clinical characteristics. Our segmentation demonstrated good reliability (.87). We further showed a significant ChP volume increase in early psychosis (left: p < .00010, right: p < .00010) and a significant positive correlation between higher ChP and higher LV volumes in chronic psychosis (left: r = .54, p = .0030, right: r = .68; p < .0010). Our study suggests that ChP enlargement may be a marker of acute response around disease onset. It might also play a modulatory role in the chronic enlargement of lateral ventricles, often reported in psychosis. Future longitudinal studies should investigate the dynamics of ChP enlargement as a promising marker for novel therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olcay Senay
- Department of PsychiatryBrigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of PsychiatryIstanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul UniversityIstanbulTurkey
| | - Magdalena Seethaler
- Department of PsychiatryBrigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus Charité MittePsychiatric University Hospital Charité at St. Hedwig Hospital, Charité‐Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt‐Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of HealthBerlinGermany
| | - Nikos Makris
- Department of PsychiatryBrigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of Anatomy and NeurobiologyBoston University School of MedicineBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Center for Morphometric Analysis, Department of PsychiatryMassachusetts General HospitalCharlestownMassachusettsUSA
| | - Edward Yeterian
- Department of PsychiatryBrigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Center for Morphometric Analysis, Department of PsychiatryMassachusetts General HospitalCharlestownMassachusettsUSA
- Department of PsychologyColby CollegeWatervilleMaineUSA
| | - Jarrett Rushmore
- Department of PsychiatryBrigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of Anatomy and NeurobiologyBoston University School of MedicineBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Center for Morphometric Analysis, Department of PsychiatryMassachusetts General HospitalCharlestownMassachusettsUSA
| | - Kang Ik K. Cho
- Department of PsychiatryBrigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Elizabeth Rizzoni
- Department of PsychiatryBrigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Carina Heller
- Department of PsychiatryBrigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of Clinical PsychologyFriedrich‐Schiller‐University JenaJenaGermany
| | - Ofer Pasternak
- Department of PsychiatryBrigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Filip Szczepankiewicz
- Department of RadiologyBrigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Carl‐Frederik Westin
- Department of RadiologyBrigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Jan Losak
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC)Masaryk University, Neuroscience Centre, Brno, Czech Republic; Departments of Psychiatry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University and University Hospital BrnoBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Libor Ustohal
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC)Masaryk University, Neuroscience Centre, Brno, Czech Republic; Departments of Psychiatry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University and University Hospital BrnoBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Josef Tomandl
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC)Masaryk University, Neuroscience Centre, Brno, Czech Republic; Departments of Psychiatry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University and University Hospital BrnoBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Lubomir Vojtisek
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC)Masaryk University, Neuroscience Centre, Brno, Czech Republic; Departments of Psychiatry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University and University Hospital BrnoBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Peter Kudlicka
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC)Masaryk University, Neuroscience Centre, Brno, Czech Republic; Departments of Psychiatry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University and University Hospital BrnoBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Zora Kikinis
- Department of PsychiatryBrigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Daphne Holt
- Department of PsychiatryMassachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | | | - Paulo Lizano
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical CenterHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Matcheri S. Keshavan
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical CenterHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Dost Öngür
- Department of Psychiatry, McLean HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBelmontMassachusettsUSA
| | - Tomas Kasparek
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of MedicineMasaryk University and University Hospital BrnoBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Alan Breier
- Department of PsychiatryIndiana University School of MedicineIndianapolisIndianaUSA
| | - Martha E. Shenton
- Department of PsychiatryBrigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of RadiologyBrigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Johanna Seitz‐Holland
- Department of PsychiatryBrigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of PsychiatryMassachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Marek Kubicki
- Department of PsychiatryBrigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of RadiologyBrigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of PsychiatryMassachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
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5
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Wen J, Varol E, Sotiras A, Yang Z, Chand GB, Erus G, Shou H, Abdulkadir A, Hwang G, Dwyer DB, Pigoni A, Dazzan P, Kahn RS, Schnack HG, Zanetti MV, Meisenzahl E, Busatto GF, Crespo-Facorro B, Rafael RG, Pantelis C, Wood SJ, Zhuo C, Shinohara RT, Fan Y, Gur RC, Gur RE, Satterthwaite TD, Koutsouleris N, Wolf DH, Davatzikos C. Multi-scale semi-supervised clustering of brain images: Deriving disease subtypes. Med Image Anal 2022; 75:102304. [PMID: 34818611 PMCID: PMC8678373 DOI: 10.1016/j.media.2021.102304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Disease heterogeneity is a significant obstacle to understanding pathological processes and delivering precision diagnostics and treatment. Clustering methods have gained popularity for stratifying patients into subpopulations (i.e., subtypes) of brain diseases using imaging data. However, unsupervised clustering approaches are often confounded by anatomical and functional variations not related to a disease or pathology of interest. Semi-supervised clustering techniques have been proposed to overcome this and, therefore, capture disease-specific patterns more effectively. An additional limitation of both unsupervised and semi-supervised conventional machine learning methods is that they typically model, learn and infer from data using a basis of feature sets pre-defined at a fixed anatomical or functional scale (e.g., atlas-based regions of interest). Herein we propose a novel method, "Multi-scAle heteroGeneity analysIs and Clustering" (MAGIC), to depict the multi-scale presentation of disease heterogeneity, which builds on a previously proposed semi-supervised clustering method, HYDRA. It derives multi-scale and clinically interpretable feature representations and exploits a double-cyclic optimization procedure to effectively drive identification of inter-scale-consistent disease subtypes. More importantly, to understand the conditions under which the clustering model can estimate true heterogeneity related to diseases, we conducted extensive and systematic semi-simulated experiments to evaluate the proposed method on a sizeable healthy control sample from the UK Biobank (N = 4403). We then applied MAGIC to imaging data from Alzheimer's disease (ADNI, N = 1728) and schizophrenia (PHENOM, N = 1166) patients to demonstrate its potential and challenges in dissecting the neuroanatomical heterogeneity of common brain diseases. Taken together, we aim to provide guidance regarding when such analyses can succeed or should be taken with caution. The code of the proposed method is publicly available at https://github.com/anbai106/MAGIC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhao Wen
- Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.
| | - Erdem Varol
- Department of Statistics, Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Aristeidis Sotiras
- Department of Radiology and Institute for Informatics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, USA
| | - Zhijian Yang
- Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Ganesh B Chand
- Department of Radiology, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, USA
| | - Guray Erus
- Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Haochang Shou
- Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA; Penn Statistics in Imaging and Visualization Center, Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Ahmed Abdulkadir
- Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Gyujoon Hwang
- Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Dominic B Dwyer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Alessandro Pigoni
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Dazzan
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Rene S Kahn
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Hugo G Schnack
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Marcus V Zanetti
- Institute of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eva Meisenzahl
- LVR-Klinikum Düsseldorf, Kliniken der Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Geraldo F Busatto
- Institute of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Benedicto Crespo-Facorro
- Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio, University of Sevilla-IBIS; IDIVAL-CIBERSAM, Cantabria, Spain
| | - Romero-Garcia Rafael
- Department of Medical Physiology and Biophysics, University of Seville, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Sevilla, IBiS, CIBERSAM, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Christos Pantelis
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Carlton South, Australia
| | - Stephen J Wood
- Orygen, National Centre of Excellence for Youth Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Chuanjun Zhuo
- key Laboratory of Real Tine Tracing of Brain Circuits in Psychiatry and Neurology(RTBCPN-Lab), Nankai University Affiliated Tianjin Fourth Center Hospital; Department of Psychiatry, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Russell T Shinohara
- Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA; Penn Statistics in Imaging and Visualization Center, Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Yong Fan
- Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Ruben C Gur
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Raquel E Gur
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Theodore D Satterthwaite
- Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA; University Hospital of Old Age Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Nikolaos Koutsouleris
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Daniel H Wolf
- Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA; University Hospital of Old Age Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Christos Davatzikos
- Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.
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6
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"First-episode psychosis: Structural covariance deficits in salience network correlate with symptoms severity". J Psychiatr Res 2021; 136:409-420. [PMID: 33647856 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.01.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patterns of coordinated variations of gray matter (GM) morphology across individuals are promising indicators of disease. However, it remains unclear if they can help characterize first-episode psychosis (FEP) and symptoms' severity. METHODS Sixty-seven FEP and 67 matched healthy controls (HC) were assessed with structural MRI to evaluate the existence of distributed GM structural covariance patterns associated to brain areas belonging to salience network. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and structural covariance differences, investigated with salience network seed-based Partial Least Square, were applied to explore differences between groups. GM density associations with Raven's intelligent quotient (IQ) and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) scores were investigated. RESULTS Univariate VBM results gave trend without significant GM differences across groups. GM and IQ correlated positively in both groups: in FEP, mostly in hippocampus, insula, and fronto-temporal structures, while in HC mostly in amygdala, thalamus and fronto-temporal regions. GM and PANSS scores correlated negatively in FEP, with widespread clusters located in limbic regions. Multivariate analysis showed strong and opposite structural GM covariance with salience network for FEP and HC. Moreover, structural covariance of the salience network in FEP correlated negatively with severity of clinical symptoms. CONCLUSION Our study provides evidence supporting the insular dysfunction model of psychosis. Reduced structural GM covariance of the salience network, with its association to symptom's severity, appears a promising morphometry feature for FEP detection.
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7
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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: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [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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8
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Sasabayashi D, Yoshimura R, Takahashi T, Takayanagi Y, Nishiyama S, Higuchi Y, Mizukami Y, Furuichi A, Kido M, Nakamura M, Noguchi K, Suzuki M. Reduced Hippocampal Subfield Volume in Schizophrenia and Clinical High-Risk State for Psychosis. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:642048. [PMID: 33828496 PMCID: PMC8019805 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.642048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies in schizophrenia demonstrated volume reduction in hippocampal subfields divided on the basis of specific cytoarchitecture and function. However, it remains unclear whether this abnormality exists prior to the onset of psychosis and differs across illness stages. MRI (3 T) scans were obtained from 77 patients with schizophrenia, including 24 recent-onset and 40 chronic patients, 51 individuals with an at-risk mental state (ARMS) (of whom 5 subsequently developed psychosis within the follow-up period), and 87 healthy controls. Using FreeSurfer software, hippocampal subfield volumes were measured and compared across the groups. Both schizophrenia and ARMS groups exhibited significantly smaller volumes for the bilateral Cornu Ammonis 1 area, left hippocampal tail, and right molecular layer of the hippocampus than the healthy control group. Within the schizophrenia group, chronic patients exhibited a significantly smaller volume for the left hippocampal tail than recent-onset patients. The left hippocampal tail volume was positively correlated with onset age, and negatively correlated with duration of psychosis and duration of medication in the schizophrenia group. Reduced hippocampal subfield volumes observed in both schizophrenia and ARMS groups may represent a common biotype associated with psychosis vulnerability. Volumetric changes of the left hippocampal tail may also suggest ongoing atrophy after the onset of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiki Sasabayashi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan.,Research Center for Idling Brain Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Ryo Yoshimura
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Takahashi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan.,Research Center for Idling Brain Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Yoichiro Takayanagi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan.,Arisawabashi Hospital, Toyama, Japan
| | - Shimako Nishiyama
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan.,Health Administration Center, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Yuko Higuchi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan.,Research Center for Idling Brain Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Yuko Mizukami
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan
| | - Atsushi Furuichi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan.,Research Center for Idling Brain Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Mikio Kido
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan.,Research Center for Idling Brain Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Mihoko Nakamura
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan.,Research Center for Idling Brain Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Kyo Noguchi
- Department of Radiology, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan
| | - Michio Suzuki
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan.,Research Center for Idling Brain Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
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9
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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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10
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Mow JL, Gandhi A, Fulford D. Imaging the "social brain" in schizophrenia: A systematic review of neuroimaging studies of social reward and punishment. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 118:704-722. [PMID: 32841653 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 06/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Decreased social functioning and high levels of loneliness and social isolation are common in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD), contributing to reduced quality of life. One key contributor to social impairment is low social motivation, which may stem from aberrant neural processing of socially rewarding or punishing stimuli. To summarize research on the neurobiology of social motivation in SSD, we performed a systematic literature review of neuroimaging studies involving the presentation of social stimuli intended to elicit feelings of reward and/or punishment. Across 11 studies meeting criteria, people with SSD demonstrated weaker modulation of brain activity in regions within a proposed social interaction network, including prefrontal, cingulate, and striatal regions, as well as the amygdala and insula. Firm conclusions regarding neural differences in SSD in these regions, as well as connections within networks, are limited due to conceptual and methodological inconsistencies across the available studies. We conclude by making recommendations for the study of social reward and punishment processing in SSD in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Mow
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Boston University, 64 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215, United States.
| | - Arti Gandhi
- Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, 635 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215, United States
| | - Daniel Fulford
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Boston University, 64 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215, United States; Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, 635 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215, United States
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11
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van Haren N, Cahn W, Hulshoff Pol H, Kahn R. Schizophrenia as a progressive brain disease. Eur Psychiatry 2020; 23:245-54. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2007.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2007] [Revised: 10/11/2007] [Accepted: 10/18/2007] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
AbstractThere is convincing evidence that schizophrenia is characterized by abnormalities in brain volume. At the Department of Psychiatry of the University Medical Centre Utrecht, Netherlands, we have been carrying out neuroimaging studies in schizophrenia since 1995. We focused our research on three main questions. First, are brain volume abnormalities static or progressive in nature? Secondly, can brain volume abnormalities in schizophrenia be explained (in part) by genetic influences? Finally, what environmental factors are associated with the brain volume abnormalities in schizophrenia?Based on our findings we suggest that schizophrenia is a progressive brain disease. We showed different age-related trajectories of brain tissue loss suggesting that brain maturation that occurs in the third and fourth decade of life is abnormal in schizophrenia. Moreover, brain volume has been shown to be a useful phenotype for studying schizophrenia. Brain volume is highly heritable and twin and family studies show that unaffected relatives show abnormalities that are similar, but usually present to a lesser extent, to those found in the patients. However, also environmental factors play a role. Medication intake is indeed a confounding factor when interpreting brain volume (change) abnormalities, while independent of antipsychotic medication intake brain volume abnormalities appear influenced by the outcome of the illness.In conclusion, schizophrenia can be considered as a progressive brain disease with brain volume abnormalities that are for a large part influenced by genetic factors. Whether the progressive volume change is also mediated by genes awaits the results of longitudinal twin analyses. One of the main challenges for the coming years, however, will be the search for gene-by-environment interactions on the progressive brain changes in schizophrenia.
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12
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Wannan CMJ, Cropley VL, Chakravarty MM, Van Rheenen TE, Mancuso S, Bousman C, Everall I, McGorry PD, Pantelis C, Bartholomeusz CF. Hippocampal subfields and visuospatial associative memory across stages of schizophrenia-spectrum disorder. Psychol Med 2019; 49:2452-2462. [PMID: 30511607 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291718003458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While previous studies have identified relationships between hippocampal volumes and memory performance in schizophrenia, these relationships are not apparent in healthy individuals. Further, few studies have examined the role of hippocampal subfields in illness-related memory deficits, and no study has examined potential differences across varying illness stages. The current study aimed to investigate whether individuals with early and established psychosis exhibited differential relationships between visuospatial associative memory and hippocampal subfield volumes. METHODS Measurements of visuospatial associative memory performance and grey matter volume were obtained from 52 individuals with a chronic schizophrenia-spectrum disorder, 28 youth with recent-onset psychosis, 52 older healthy controls, and 28 younger healthy controls. RESULTS Both chronic and recent-onset patients had impaired visuospatial associative memory performance, however, only chronic patients showed hippocampal subfield volume loss. Both chronic and recent-onset patients demonstrated relationships between visuospatial associative memory performance and hippocampal subfield volumes in the CA4/dentate gyrus and the stratum that were not observed in older healthy controls. There were no group by volume interactions when chronic and recent-onset patients were compared. CONCLUSIONS The current study extends the findings of previous studies by identifying particular hippocampal subfields, including the hippocampal stratum layers and the dentate gyrus, that appear to be related to visuospatial associative memory ability in individuals with both chronic and first-episode psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra M J Wannan
- Department of Psychiatry, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Carlton South, Victoria, Australia
- Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- The Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- The Cooperative Research Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia
- North Western Mental Health, Melbourne Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Vanessa L Cropley
- Department of Psychiatry, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Carlton South, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Mental Health, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - M Mallar Chakravarty
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Canada
- Departments of Psychiatry and Biological and Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Tamsyn E Van Rheenen
- Department of Psychiatry, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Carlton South, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Mental Health, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sam Mancuso
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Chad Bousman
- Departments of Medical Genetics, Psychiatry, and Physiology & Pharmacology, University of Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Ian Everall
- The Cooperative Research Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Centre for Neural Engineering, University of Melbourne, South Carlton, Victoria, Australia
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
- Florey Institute for Neuroscience & Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Patrick D McGorry
- Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christos Pantelis
- Department of Psychiatry, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Carlton South, Victoria, Australia
- The Cooperative Research Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia
- North Western Mental Health, Melbourne Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Centre for Neural Engineering, University of Melbourne, South Carlton, Victoria, Australia
- Florey Institute for Neuroscience & Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Cali F Bartholomeusz
- Department of Psychiatry, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Carlton South, Victoria, Australia
- Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- The Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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13
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Girdler SJ, Confino JE, Woesner ME. Exercise as a Treatment for Schizophrenia: A Review. PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY BULLETIN 2019; 49:56-69. [PMID: 30858639 PMCID: PMC6386427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that is characterized by progressive cognitive impairment in areas of attention, working memory, and executive functioning. Although no clear etiology of schizophrenia has been discovered, many factors have been identified that contribute to the development of the disease, such as neurotransmitter alterations, decreased synaptic plasticity, and diminished hippocampal volume. Historically, antipsychotic medications have targeted biochemical alterations in the brains of patients with schizophrenia but have been ineffective in alleviating cognitive and hippocampal deficits. Other modalities, such as exercise therapy, have been proposed as adjuvant or primary therapy options. Exercise therapy has been shown to improve positive and negative symptoms, quality of life, cognition, and hippocampal plasticity, and to increase hippocampal volume in the brains of patients with schizophrenia. This article will briefly review the clinical signs, symptoms and proposed etiologies of schizophrenia, and describe the current understanding of exercise programs as an effective treatment in patients with the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Girdler
- Girdler, MD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY. Confino, BS, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx NY. Woesner, MD, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx NY, and Bronx Psychiatric Center, Bronx, NY
| | - Jamie E Confino
- Girdler, MD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY. Confino, BS, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx NY. Woesner, MD, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx NY, and Bronx Psychiatric Center, Bronx, NY
| | - Mary E Woesner
- Girdler, MD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY. Confino, BS, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx NY. Woesner, MD, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx NY, and Bronx Psychiatric Center, Bronx, NY
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14
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Kelly S, Guimond S, Lyall A, Stone WS, Shenton ME, Keshavan M, Seidman LJ. Neural correlates of cognitive deficits across developmental phases of schizophrenia. Neurobiol Dis 2018; 131:104353. [PMID: 30582983 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2018.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2018] [Revised: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is associated with cognitive deficits across all stages of the illness (i.e., high risk, first episode, early and chronic phases). Identifying the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of these deficits is an important area of scientific inquiry. Here, we selectively review evidence regarding the pattern of deficits across the developmental trajectory of schizophrenia using the five cognitive domains identified by the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative. We also report associated findings from neuroimaging studies. We suggest that most cognitive domains are affected across the developmental trajectory, with corresponding brain structural and/or functional differences. The idea of a common mechanism driving these deficits is discussed, along with implications for cognitive treatment in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinead Kelly
- Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Public Psychiatry Division, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Synthia Guimond
- Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Public Psychiatry Division, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; The Royal's Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Amanda Lyall
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - William S Stone
- Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Public Psychiatry Division, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Martha E Shenton
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; VA Boston Healthcare System, Brockton Division, Brockton, MA, USA
| | - Matcheri Keshavan
- Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Public Psychiatry Division, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Larry J Seidman
- Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Public Psychiatry Division, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Abstract
BackgroundNeurobiological studies of the early course of psychoses, such as schizophrenia, allow investigation of pathophysiology without the confounds of illness chronicity and treatment.AimsTo review the recent literature on the biology of the early course of psychoses.MethodWe carried out a critical appraisal of the recent findings in the neurobiology of early psychoses, using structural, functional and neurochemical imaging techniques.ResultsBrain structural alterations are present early in the illness and may predate symptom onset. Some changes, notably those in frontal and temporal lobes, can progress during the early phases of the illness. Functional and neurochemical brain abnormalities can also be seen in the premorbid and the early phases of the illness. Some, although not all, changes can be trait-like whereas some others might progress during the early years.ConclusionsA better understanding of such changes, especially during the critical periods of the prodrome, around the transition to the psychotic phase and during the early phases of the illness is crucial for continued research into preventive intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matcheri S Keshavan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, UCH 9B, 4201 St Antoine Boulevard, Detroit, MI, USA.
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Linking persistent negative symptoms to amygdala-hippocampus structure in first-episode psychosis. Transl Psychiatry 2017; 7:e1195. [PMID: 28786981 PMCID: PMC5611735 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2017.168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Revised: 04/12/2017] [Accepted: 05/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Early persistent negative symptoms (PNS) following a first episode of psychosis (FEP) are linked to poor functional outcome. Reports of reduced amygdalar and hippocampal volumes in early psychosis have not accounted for heterogeneity of symptoms. Age is also seldom considered in this population, a factor that has the potential to uncover symptom-specific maturational biomarkers pertaining to volume and shape changes within the hippocampus and amygdala. T1-weighted volumes were acquired for early (N=21), secondary (N=30), non-(N=44) PNS patients with a FEP, and controls (N=44). Amygdalar-hippocampal volumes and surface area (SA) metrics were extracted with the Multiple Automatically Generated Templates (MAGeT)-Brain algorithm. Linear mixed models were applied to test for a main effect of group and age × group interactions. Early PNS patients had significantly reduced left amygdalar and right hippocampal volumes, as well as similarly lateralized negative age × group interactions compared to secondary PNS patients (P<0.017, corrected). Morphometry revealed decreased SA in early PNS compared with other patient groups in left central amygdala, and in a posterior region when compared with controls. Early and secondary PNS patients had significantly decreased SA as a function of age compared with patients without such symptoms within the right hippocampal tail (P<0.05, corrected). Significant amygdalar-hippocampal changes with age are linked to PNS after a FEP, with converging results from volumetric and morphometric analyses. Differential age trajectories suggest an aberrant maturational process within FEP patients presenting with PNS, which could represent dynamic endophenotypes setting these patients apart from their non-symptomatic peers. Studies are encouraged to parse apart such symptom constructs when examining neuroanatomical changes emerging after a FEP.
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17
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Neuroadaptations to antipsychotic drugs: Insights from pre-clinical and human post-mortem studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 76:317-335. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2015] [Revised: 07/07/2016] [Accepted: 10/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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18
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Dietsche B, Kircher T, Falkenberg I. Structural brain changes in schizophrenia at different stages of the illness: A selective review of longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging studies. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2017; 51:500-508. [PMID: 28415873 DOI: 10.1177/0004867417699473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Schizophrenia is a devastating mental disorder accompanied by aberrant structural brain connectivity. The question whether schizophrenia is a progressive brain disorder is yet to be resolved. Thus, it is not clear when these structural alterations occur and how they develop over time. METHODS In our selective review, we summarized recent findings from longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging studies investigating structural brain alterations and its impact on clinical outcome at different stages of the illness: (1) subjects at ultra-high risk of developing psychosis, (2) patients with a first episode psychosis, and (3) chronically ill patients. Moreover, we reviewed studies examining the longitudinal effects of medication on brain structure in patients with schizophrenia. RESULTS (1) Studies from pre-clinical stages to conversion showed a more pronounced cortical gray matter loss (i.e. superior temporal and inferior frontal regions) in those individuals who later made transition to psychosis. (2) Studies investigating patients with a first episode psychosis revealed a decline in multiple gray matter regions (i.e. frontal regions and thalamus) over time as well as progressive cortical thinning in the superior and inferior frontal cortex. (3) Studies focusing on patients with chronic schizophrenia showed that gray matter decreased to a greater extent (i.e. frontal and temporal areas, thalamus, and cingulate cortices)-especially in poor-outcome patients. Very few studies reported effects on white matter microstructure in the longitudinal course of the illness. CONCLUSION There is adequate evidence to suggest that schizophrenia is associated with progressive gray matter abnormalities particularly during the initial stages of illness. However, causal relationships between structural changes and illness course-especially in chronically ill patients-should be interpreted with caution. Findings might be confounded by longer periods of treatment and higher doses of antipsychotics or epiphenomena related to the illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Dietsche
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Tilo Kircher
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Irina Falkenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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Bartholomeusz CF, Cropley VL, Wannan C, Di Biase M, McGorry PD, Pantelis C. Structural neuroimaging across early-stage psychosis: Aberrations in neurobiological trajectories and implications for the staging model. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2017; 51:455-476. [PMID: 27733710 DOI: 10.1177/0004867416670522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This review critically examines the structural neuroimaging evidence in psychotic illness, with a focus on longitudinal imaging across the first-episode psychosis and ultra-high-risk of psychosis illness stages. METHODS A thorough search of the literature involving specifically longitudinal neuroimaging in early illness stages of psychosis was conducted. The evidence supporting abnormalities in brain morphology and altered neurodevelopmental trajectories is discussed in the context of a clinical staging model. RESULTS In general, grey matter (and, to a lesser extent, white matter) declines across multiple frontal, temporal (especially superior regions), insular and parietal regions during the first episode of psychosis, which has a steeper trajectory than that of age-matched healthy counterparts. Although the ultra-high-risk of psychosis literature is considerably mixed, evidence indicates that certain volumetric structural aberrations predate psychotic illness onset (e.g. prefrontal cortex thinning), while other abnormalities present in ultra-high-risk of psychosis populations are potentially non-psychosis-specific (e.g. hippocampal volume reductions). CONCLUSION We highlight the advantages of longitudinal designs, discuss the implications such studies have on clinical staging and provide directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cali F Bartholomeusz
- 1 Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- 2 Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- 3 Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Carlton South, VIC, Australia
| | - Vanessa L Cropley
- 3 Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Carlton South, VIC, Australia
| | - Cassandra Wannan
- 1 Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- 2 Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- 3 Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Carlton South, VIC, Australia
| | - Maria Di Biase
- 3 Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Carlton South, VIC, Australia
| | - Patrick D McGorry
- 1 Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- 2 Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Christos Pantelis
- 3 Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Carlton South, VIC, Australia
- 4 Centre for Neural Engineering, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Carlton South, VIC, Australia
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Ho NF, Iglesias JE, Sum MY, Kuswanto CN, Sitoh YY, De Souza J, Hong Z, Fischl B, Roffman JL, Zhou J, Sim K, Holt DJ. Progression from selective to general involvement of hippocampal subfields in schizophrenia. Mol Psychiatry 2017; 22:142-152. [PMID: 26903271 PMCID: PMC4995163 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2016.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2015] [Revised: 10/19/2015] [Accepted: 12/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Volume deficits of the hippocampus in schizophrenia have been consistently reported. However, the hippocampus is anatomically heterogeneous; it remains unclear whether certain portions of the hippocampus are affected more than others in schizophrenia. In this study, we aimed to determine whether volume deficits in schizophrenia are confined to specific subfields of the hippocampus and to measure the subfield volume trajectories over the course of the illness. Magnetic resonance imaging scans were obtained from Data set 1: 155 patients with schizophrenia (mean duration of illness of 7 years) and 79 healthy controls, and Data set 2: an independent cohort of 46 schizophrenia patients (mean duration of illness of 18 years) and 46 healthy controls. In addition, follow-up scans were collected for a subset of Data set 1. A novel, automated method based on an atlas constructed from ultra-high resolution, post-mortem hippocampal tissue was used to label seven hippocampal subfields. Significant cross-sectional volume deficits in the CA1, but not of the other subfields, were found in the schizophrenia patients of Data set 1. However, diffuse cross-sectional volume deficits across all subfields were found in the more chronic and ill schizophrenia patients of Data set 2. Consistent with this pattern, the longitudinal analysis of Data set 1 revealed progressive illness-related volume loss (~2-6% per year) that extended beyond CA1 to all of the other subfields. This decline in volume correlated with symptomatic worsening. Overall, these findings provide converging evidence for early atrophy of CA1 in schizophrenia, with extension to other hippocampal subfields and accompanying clinical sequelae over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- N F Ho
- Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders Program, Duke-National University of Singapore Graduate Medical School, Singapore
| | - J E Iglesias
- Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, Spain
- AA Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - M Y Sum
- Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore
| | - C N Kuswanto
- Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore
| | - Y Y Sitoh
- Department of Neuroradiology, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore
| | - J De Souza
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders Program, Duke-National University of Singapore Graduate Medical School, Singapore
| | - Z Hong
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders Program, Duke-National University of Singapore Graduate Medical School, Singapore
| | - B Fischl
- AA Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - J L Roffman
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - J Zhou
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders Program, Duke-National University of Singapore Graduate Medical School, Singapore
| | - K Sim
- Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore
- Department of General Psychiatry, General Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore
| | - D J Holt
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Early psychosis research at Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2016; 51:1-13. [PMID: 26498752 DOI: 10.1007/s00127-015-1140-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2015] [Accepted: 10/13/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Specialised early intervention (SEI) programs have offered individuals with psychotic disorders and their families new hope for improving illness trajectories and outcomes. The Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre (EPPIC) was one of the first SEI programs developed in the world, providing services for young people experiencing their first episode of psychosis. METHODS We conducted a narrative synthesis of controlled and uncontrolled studies that have been conducted at EPPIC. DISCUSSION The history of the EPPIC model is first described. This is followed by a discussion of clinical research emerging from EPPIC, including psychopharmacological, psychotherapeutic trials and outcome studies. Neurobiological studies are also described. Issues pertaining to the conduct of clinical research and future research directions are then described. Finally, the impact of the EPPIC model on the Australian environment is discussed.
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Wolff AR, Bilkey DK. Prenatal immune activation alters hippocampal place cell firing characteristics in adult animals. Brain Behav Immun 2015; 48:232-43. [PMID: 25843370 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2015.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2014] [Revised: 03/12/2015] [Accepted: 03/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal maternal immune activation (MIA) is a risk factor for several developmental neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Adults with these disorders display alterations in memory function that may result from changes in the structure and function of the hippocampus. In the present study we use an animal model to investigate the effect that a transient prenatal maternal immune activation episode has on the spatially-modulated firing activity of hippocampal neurons in adult animals. MIA was induced in pregnant rat dams with a single injection of the synthetic cytokine inducer polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) on gestational day 15. Control dams were given a saline equivalent. Firing activity and local field potentials (LFPs) were recorded from the CA1 region of the adult male offspring of these dams as they moved freely in an open arena. Most neurons displayed characteristic spatially-modulated 'place cell' firing activity and while there was no between-group difference in mean firing rate between groups, place cells had smaller place fields in MIA-exposed animals when compared to control-group cells. Cells recorded in MIA-group animals also displayed an altered firing-phase synchrony relationship to simultaneously recorded LFPs. When the floor of the arena was rotated, the place fields of MIA-group cells were more likely to shift in the same direction as the floor rotation, suggesting that local cues may have been more salient for these animals. In contrast, place fields in control group cells were more likely to shift firing position to novel spatial locations suggesting an altered response to contextual cues. These findings show that a single MIA intervention is sufficient to change several important characteristics of hippocampal place cell activity in adult offspring. These changes could contribute to the memory dysfunction that is associated with MIA, by altering the encoding of spatial context and by disrupting plasticity mechanisms that are dependent on spike timing synchrony.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy R Wolff
- Department of Psychology, Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - David K Bilkey
- Department of Psychology, Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
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Pujol N, Penadés R, Junqué C, Dinov I, Fu CHY, Catalán R, Ibarretxe-Bilbao N, Bargalló N, Bernardo M, Toga A, Howard RJ, Costafreda SG. Hippocampal abnormalities and age in chronic schizophrenia: morphometric study across the adult lifespan. Br J Psychiatry 2014; 205:369-75. [PMID: 25213158 PMCID: PMC4217027 DOI: 10.1192/bjp.bp.113.140384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hippocampal abnormalities have been demonstrated in schizophrenia. It is unclear whether these abnormalities worsen with age, and whether they affect cognition and function. AIMS To determine whether hippocampal abnormalities in chronic schizophrenia are associated with age, cognition and socio-occupational function. METHOD Using 3 T magnetic resonance imaging we scanned 100 persons aged 19-82 years: 51 were out-patients with stable schizophrenia at least 2 years after diagnosis and 49 were healthy volunteers matched for age and gender. Automated analysis was used to determine hippocampal volume and shape. RESULTS There were differential effects of age in the schizophrenia and control samples on total hippocampal volume (group × age interaction: F(1,95) = 6.57, P = 0.012), with steeper age-related reduction in the schizophrenia group. Three-dimensional shape analysis located the age-related deformations predominantly in the mid-body of the hippocampus. In the schizophrenia group similar patterns of morphometric abnormalities were correlated with impaired cognition and poorer socio-occupational function. CONCLUSIONS Hippocampal abnormalities are associated with age in people with chronic schizophrenia, with a steeper decline than in healthy individuals. These abnormalities are associated with cognitive and functional deficits, suggesting that hippocampal morphometry may be a biomarker for cognitive decline in older patients with schizophrenia.
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Lappin JM, Morgan C, Chalavi S, Morgan KD, Reinders AATS, Fearon P, Heslin M, Zanelli J, Jones PB, Murray RM, Dazzan P. Bilateral hippocampal increase following first-episode psychosis is associated with good clinical, functional and cognitive outcomes. Psychol Med 2014; 44:1279-1291. [PMID: 23866084 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291713001712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hippocampal pathology has been proposed to underlie clinical, functional and cognitive impairments in schizophrenia. The hippocampus is a highly plastic brain region; examining change in volume, or change bilaterally, over time, can advance understanding of the substrate of recovery in psychosis. METHOD Magnetic resonance imaging and outcome data were collected at baseline and 6-year follow-up in 42 first-episode psychosis subjects and 32 matched controls, to investigate whether poorer outcomes are associated with loss of global matter and hippocampal volumes. Bilateral hippocampal increase (BHI) over time, as a marker of hippocampal plasticity was hypothesized to be associated with better outcomes. Regression analyses were performed on: (i) clinical and functional outcomes with grey matter volume change and BHI as predictor variables; and (ii) cognitive outcome with BHI as predictor. RESULTS BHI was present in 29% of psychosis participants. There was no significant grey matter loss over time in either patient or control groups. Less severe illness course and lesser symptom severity were associated with BHI, but not with grey matter change. Employment and global function were associated with BHI and with less grey matter loss. Superior delayed verbal recall was also associated with BHI. CONCLUSIONS BHI occurs in a minority of patients following their first psychotic episode and is associated with good outcome across clinical, functional and cognitive domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Lappin
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
| | - C Morgan
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
| | - S Chalavi
- Department of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - K D Morgan
- Department of Psychology, University of Westminster, London, UK
| | | | - P Fearon
- Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Republic of Ireland
| | - M Heslin
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
| | - J Zanelli
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
| | - P B Jones
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - R M Murray
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
| | - P Dazzan
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
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Premkumar P, Sharma T. Neuropsychologic functioning and structural MRI of the brain in patients with schizophrenia. Expert Rev Neurother 2014; 5:85-94. [PMID: 15853478 DOI: 10.1586/14737175.5.1.85] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The first episode of schizophrenia represents a transition from a premorbid to a morbid state. Studying the first episode of schizophrenia is useful since it is devoid of the confounds of chronicity and long-term medication. It is also likely to direct us to the core deficits of the illness. Studies on first-episode schizophrenia suggest a generalized neuropsychologic impairment, but that memory, attention and executive function are more severely impaired. Support for a neurodevelopmental model of neuropsychologic impairment in schizophrenia is derived from the findings that much of the neuropsychologic impairment is present by illness onset, that neuropsychologic impairment remains stable over time and that there is a weak relation between duration of untreated psychosis and neuropsychologic impairment. However, neuropsychologic impairment is moderated by neuroleptic treatment, with some evidence that atypical antipsychotics may have some beneficial effects over conventional antipsychotics. The causal mechanisms of brain abnormality in the temporal and frontal lobes appear to be different to that of neuropsychologic impairment in schizophrenia. The observation that there is a brain volume decrement over time and that the rate of change is higher during the first 5 years would be consistent with a neurodegenerative model of schizophrenia. At the same time, the basal ganglia are vulnerable to volumetric increase secondary to neuroleptic medication. Understanding the roles of the neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative models of schizophrenia is important in deciding intervention strategies.
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Hýža M, Huttlová J, Keřkovský M, Kašpárek T. Psychosis effect on hippocampal reduction in schizophrenia. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2014; 48:186-92. [PMID: 24140928 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2013.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2013] [Revised: 09/23/2013] [Accepted: 10/07/2013] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In schizophrenia, disruption of the neurodevelopmental processes may lead to brain changes and subsequent clinical manifestations of the illness. Reports of the progressive nature of these morphological brain changes raise questions about their causes. The possible toxic effects of repeated stressful psychotic episodes may contribute to the disease progression. OBJECTIVES To analyze the influence of illness duration and previous psychotic episodes on hippocampal gray matter volume (GMV) in schizophrenia. METHODS We performed an analysis of hippocampal GMV correlations with illness duration, number of previous psychotic episodes, and age in 24 schizophrenia patients and 24 matched healthy controls. RESULTS We found a cluster of GMV voxels in the left hippocampal tail that negatively correlated with the number of previous psychotic episodes, independent from the effect of age. On the other hand we found no effect of illness duration independent of age on the hippocampal GMV. Finally, we found a cluster of significant group-by-age interaction in the left hippocampal head. CONCLUSIONS We found an additive adverse effect of psychotic episodes on hippocampal morphology in schizophrenia. Our findings support toxicity of psychosis concept, together with etiological heterogeneity of brain changes in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Hýža
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Czech Republic
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Chiapponi C, Piras F, Fagioli S, Piras F, Caltagirone C, Spalletta G. Age-related brain trajectories in schizophrenia: a systematic review of structural MRI studies. Psychiatry Res 2013; 214:83-93. [PMID: 23972726 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2013.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2012] [Revised: 03/12/2013] [Accepted: 05/19/2013] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Using the Pubmed database, we performed a detailed literature search for structural magnetic resonance imaging studies on patients with schizophrenia, investigating the relationship between macroscopic and microscopic structural parameters and age, to delineate an age-related trajectory. Twenty-six studies were considered for the review, from January 2000 to June 2012. Research results are heterogeneous because of the multifactorial features of schizophrenia and the multiplicity of the methodological approaches adopted. Some areas, within the amygdala-hippocampus complex, which are affected early in life by schizophrenia, age in a physiological way. Other regions, such as the superior temporal gyrus, appear already impaired at the onset of symptoms, undergo a worsening in the acute phase but later stabilize, progressing physiologically over years. Finally, there are regions, such as the uncinate fasciculus, which are not altered early in life, but are affected around the onset of schizophrenia, with their impairment continuously worsening over time. Further extensive longitudinal studies are needed to understand the timing and the possible degenerative characteristics of structural impairment associated with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Chiapponi
- Laboratory of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy
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Savanthrapadian S, Wolff AR, Logan BJ, Eckert MJ, Bilkey DK, Abraham WC. Enhanced hippocampal neuronal excitability and LTP persistence associated with reduced behavioral flexibility in the maternal immune activation model of schizophrenia. Hippocampus 2013; 23:1395-409. [PMID: 23966340 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.22193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Individuals with schizophrenia display a number of structural and cytoarchitectural alterations in the hippocampus, suggesting that other functions such as synaptic plasticity may also be modified. Altered hippocampal plasticity is likely to affect memory processing, and therefore any such pathology may contribute to the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia, which includes prominent memory impairment. The current study tested whether prenatal exposure to infection, an environmental risk factor that has previously been associated with schizophrenia produced changes in hippocampal synaptic transmission or plasticity, using the maternal immune activation (MIA) animal model. We also assessed performance in hippocampus-dependent memory tasks to determine whether altered plasticity is associated with memory dysfunction. MIA did not alter basal synaptic transmission in either the dentate gyrus or CA1 of freely moving adult rats. It did, however, result in increased paired-pulse facilitation of the dentate gyrus population spike and an enhanced persistence of dentate long-term potentiation. MIA animals displayed slower learning of a reversed platform location in the water maze, and a similarly slowed learning during reversal in a spatial plus maze task. Together these findings are indicative of reduced behavioral flexibility in response to changes in task requirements. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that hippocampal plasticity is altered in schizophrenia, and that this change in plasticity mechanisms may underlie some aspects of cognitive dysfunction in this disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shakuntala Savanthrapadian
- Department of Psychology and the Brain Health Research Center, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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Hippocampal volume in subjects at high risk of psychosis: a longitudinal MRI study. Schizophr Res 2012; 142:217-22. [PMID: 23123134 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2012.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2012] [Revised: 10/09/2012] [Accepted: 10/10/2012] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The hippocampal formation has been studied extensively in schizophrenic psychoses and alterations in hippocampal anatomy have been consistently reported. Chronic schizophrenia seems to be associated with bilateral hippocampal volume (HV) reduction, while in patients with an at-risk mental state (ARMS) there are contradictory results. This is the first region of interest (ROI) based follow-up MRI study of hippocampal volume comparing ARMS individuals with and without transition to psychosis. The aim was to investigate the timing of HV changes in ARMS in the early phase of psychosis. METHODS Magnetic resonance imaging data from 18 antipsychotic-naïve individuals with an ARMS were collected within the FePsy-clinic for early detection of psychoses. During follow-up 8 subjects transitioned to psychosis (ARMS-T) and 10 did not (ARMS-NT). Subjects were re-scanned after the onset of psychosis or at the end of the follow-up if they did not develop psychosis. RESULTS Across both groups there was a significant decrease in HV over time (p<0.05). There was no significant difference in progression between ARMS-T and ARMS-NT. Antipsychotic medication at follow up was associated with increased HV (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS We found a decrease of HV over time in subjects with an ARMS, independently of clinical outcome. We may speculate that the decrease of HV over time might reflect brain degeneration processes.
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Nesvåg R, Bergmann Ø, Rimol LM, Lange EH, Haukvik UK, Hartberg CB, Fagerberg T, Söderman E, Jönsson EG, Agartz I. A 5-year follow-up study of brain cortical and subcortical abnormalities in a schizophrenia cohort. Schizophr Res 2012; 142:209-16. [PMID: 23116883 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2012.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2012] [Revised: 09/14/2012] [Accepted: 10/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Magnetic resonance imaging studies have demonstrated that patients with schizophrenia have thinner cortex in prefrontal and temporal brain regions, and enlarged lateral ventricles, compared to healthy subjects. Longitudinal studies have shown progressive brain tissue loss and ventricular dilatation among patients, predominantly in the early phase of the illness. Evidence for progression in more chronic phases of schizophrenia is less established. METHODS Measurements of cortical thickness, cortical volume and subcortical volumes were obtained from 52 patients with long-term treated schizophrenia and 63 healthy subjects who were scanned twice over five years. Differences in brain measurements across time and group were investigated using general linear models. RESULTS Compared to controls, patients had similar patterns of thinner cortex and smaller cortical volumes in prefrontal and temporal regions at both time points. In the follow-up interval regional cortical volumes decreased and lateral ventricle volumes increased in both groups. There was a trend level interaction effect of group and time for the right lateral ventricle, but not for cortical measurements. This effect was related to higher degree of negative symptoms at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Regional differences in cortical thickness and volume between long-term treated patients with schizophrenia and healthy subjects are stable across five years, while right lateral ventricle volumes tend to increase more in the patients. The findings indicate that brain structure abnormalities found in schizophrenia are not progressive in the chronic stage of the disease, but that some progression in subcortical structures may be present in patients with poor outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ragnar Nesvåg
- Department of Psychiatry, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, P.O. Box 85, Vinderen, N-0319 Oslo, Norway.
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van der Kemp WJM, Klomp DWJ, Kahn RS, Luijten PR, Hulshoff Pol HE. A meta-analysis of the polyunsaturated fatty acid composition of erythrocyte membranes in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2012; 141:153-61. [PMID: 22981812 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2012.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2011] [Revised: 08/22/2012] [Accepted: 08/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Membrane abnormalities in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been reported in schizophrenia and have been associated with brain tissue loss in normal ageing. Therefore PUFA may be involved in the excessive brain tissue loss reported in schizophrenia. METHODS A systematic MEDLINE database search was conducted to identify studies that compared PUFAs in erythrocyte membranes in patients and controls. Patients were categorized by medication regime in medication naive first-episode patients, and patients receiving typical or atypical antipsychotics. SAMPLE Fourteen studies were included, comprising a total of 429 patients with schizophrenia and 444 healthy control subjects. Cohen's d effect sizes were calculated for PUFAs in erythrocyte membranes using the random-effects model. Combined Cohen's d was calculated separately for patients on different medication regime. RESULTS Medication-naive patients and patients taking typical antipsychotics showed significantly (p<0.01) decreased concentrations of arachidonic (AA), docosahexaenoic (DHA), and docosapentaenoic (DPA) acid. In addition, patients taking typical antipsychotics showed decreased linoleic (LA), dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (DGLA), eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosatetraenoic (DTA) acid (p<0.01). Patients taking atypical antipsychotics showed decreased DHA (p<0.01) only. CONCLUSIONS PUFA concentrations in erythrocyte membranes are decreased in schizophrenia. Of particular importance in patients are lower concentrations of DHA and AA, two fatty acids that are abundant in the brain and important precursors in the cell-signalling cascade.
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Affiliation(s)
- W J M van der Kemp
- Image Sciences Institute, Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands, P.O. Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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Confounders of excessive brain volume loss in schizophrenia. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2012; 37:2418-23. [PMID: 23000300 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2012.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2012] [Revised: 08/15/2012] [Accepted: 09/11/2012] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
There is convincing evidence that schizophrenia is characterised by progressive brain volume changes during the course of the illness. In a large longitudinal study it was shown that different age-related trajectories of brain tissue loss are present in patients compared to healthy subjects, suggesting that brain maturation that occurs in the third and fourth decade of life is abnormal in schizophrenia. However, studies show that medication intake and cannabis use are important confounding factors when interpreting brain volume (change) abnormalities. Indeed, continues use of cannabis, but not cigarette smoking, is associated to a more pronounced loss of grey matter in the anterior cingulated and the prefrontal cortex. Atypical antipsychotics have been found to be related to smaller decreases in tissue loss. Moreover, independent of antipsychotic medication intake, the brain volume abnormalities appear associated to the outcome of the illness.
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Watson DR, Bai F, Barrett SL, Turkington A, Rushe TM, Mulholland CC, Cooper SJ. Structural changes in the hippocampus and amygdala at first episode of psychosis. Brain Imaging Behav 2012; 6:49-60. [PMID: 22045236 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-011-9141-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Hippocampus and amygdala changes have been implicated in the pathophysiology and symptomatology of both schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BD). However relationships between illness course, neuropathological changes and variations in symptomatology remain unclear. This investigation examined the associations between hippocampus and amygdala volumes and symptom dimensions in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder patients after their first episode of psychosis. Symptom severity was associated with decreases in hippocampus/amygdala complex volume across groups. In keeping with previous work bilateral hippocampus and amygdala volume reductions were also identified in the SCZ patients while in BD patients only evidence of amygdala inflation reached significance. The study concludes that there appear to be important relationships between volume changes in the hippocampus and amygdala and dimensions and severity of symptomatology in psychosis. Structural alterations are apparent in both SCZ and BD after first episode of psychosis but present differently in each illness and are more severe in SCZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- David R Watson
- Computational Neuroscience, ISRC, University of Ulster (Magee), Northland Road, Londonderry BT48 7JL, UK.
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van Haren NE, Cahn W, Hulshoff Pol HE, Kahn RS. The course of brain abnormalities in schizophrenia: can we slow the progression? J Psychopharmacol 2012; 26:8-14. [PMID: 21730018 DOI: 10.1177/0269881111408964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
There is convincing evidence that schizophrenia is characterized by progressive brain volume changes during the course of the illness. In a large longitudinal study it was shown that different age-related trajectories of brain tissue loss are present in patients compared with healthy subjects, suggesting that brain maturation that occurs in the third and fourth decade of life is abnormal in schizophrenia. Studies show that medication intake is an important confounding factor when interpreting brain volume (change) abnormalities. Atypical antipsychotics have been found to be related to smaller decreases in tissue loss. Moreover, independent of antipsychotic medication intake, the brain volume abnormalities appear associated to the outcome of the illness. Before being able to intervene with therapies and prevent the brain from shrinking, one has to understand the underlying mechanism of the progressive changes in the brains of schizophrenia patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- N E van Haren
- Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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35
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Intact relational memory and normal hippocampal structure in the early stage of psychosis. Biol Psychiatry 2012; 71:105-13. [PMID: 22055016 PMCID: PMC3322647 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2011.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2011] [Revised: 09/20/2011] [Accepted: 09/20/2011] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies indicate that the transition to psychosis is associated with dynamic changes of hippocampal integrity. Here we explored hippocampal volume and neural activation during a relational memory task in patients who were in the early stage of a psychotic illness. METHODS Forty-one early psychosis patients and 34 healthy control subjects completed a transitive inference (TI) task used previously in chronic schizophrenia patients. Participants learned to select the "winner" of two sets of stimulus pairs drawn from an overlapping sequence (A > B > C > D > E) and a nonoverlapping set (a > b, c > d, e > f, g > h). During a functional magnetic resonance imaging scan, participants were tested on the trained pairs and made inferential judgments on novel pairings that could be solved based on training (e.g., B vs. D). Hippocampal volumes were manually segmented and compared between groups. Functional magnetic resonance imaging analyses included 27 early psychosis patients and 30 control subjects who met memory training criteria. RESULTS Groups did not differ on inference performance or hippocampal volume and exhibited similar activation of medial temporal regions when judging nonoverlapping pairs. However, patients who failed to meet memory training criteria had smaller hippocampal volumes. Neural activity during TI was less widespread in early psychosis patients, but between-group differences were not significant. Hippocampal activity during TI was positively correlated with inference performance only in control subjects. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide evidence that relational memory impairment and hippocampal abnormalities, well established in chronic schizophrenia, are not fully present in early psychosis patients. This provides a rationale for early intervention, targeting the possible delay, reduction, or prevention of these deficits.
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36
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Mamah D, Harms MP, Barch D, Styner M, Lieberman JA, Wang L. Hippocampal shape and volume changes with antipsychotics in early stage psychotic illness. Front Psychiatry 2012; 3:96. [PMID: 23162479 PMCID: PMC3495266 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2012.00096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2012] [Accepted: 10/24/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Progression of hippocampal shape and volume abnormalities has been described in psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. However it is unclear how specific antipsychotic medications influence the development of hippocampal structure. We conducted a longitudinal, randomized, controlled, multisite, double-blind study involving 14 academic medical centers (United States 11, Canada 1, Netherlands 1, and England 1). One hundred thirty-four first-episode psychosis patients (receiving either haloperidol [HAL] or olanzapine [OLZ]) and 51 healthy controls were followed for up to 104 weeks using magnetic resonance imaging and large-deformation high-dimensional brain mapping of the hippocampus. Changes in hippocampal volume and shape metrics (i.e., percentage of negative surface vertex slopes, and surface deformation) were evaluated. Mixed-models analysis did not show a significant group-by-time interaction for hippocampal volume. However, the cumulative distribution function of hippocampal surface vertex slopes showed a notable left shift with HAL treatment compared to OLZ treatment and to controls. OLZ treatment was associated with a significantly lower percentage of "large magnitude" negative surface vertex slopes compared to HAL treatment (p = 0.004). Surface deformation maps however did not localize any hippocampal regions that differentially contracted over time with OLZ treatment, after FDR correction. These results indicate that surface analysis provides supplementary information to volumetry in detecting differential treatment effects of the hippocampus. Our results suggest that OLZ is associated with less longitudinal hippocampal surface deformation than HAL, however the hippocampal regions affected appear to be variable across patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Mamah
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University St. Louis, MO, USA
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Landgraf S, Steingen J, Eppert Y, Niedermeyer U, van der Meer E, Krueger F. Temporal information processing in short- and long-term memory of patients with schizophrenia. PLoS One 2011; 6:e26140. [PMID: 22053182 PMCID: PMC3203868 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0026140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2011] [Accepted: 09/20/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive deficits of patients with schizophrenia have been largely recognized as core symptoms of the disorder. One neglected factor that contributes to these deficits is the comprehension of time. In the present study, we assessed temporal information processing and manipulation from short- and long-term memory in 34 patients with chronic schizophrenia and 34 matched healthy controls. On the short-term memory temporal-order reconstruction task, an incidental or intentional learning strategy was deployed. Patients showed worse overall performance than healthy controls. The intentional learning strategy led to dissociable performance improvement in both groups. Whereas healthy controls improved on a performance measure (serial organization), patients improved on an error measure (inappropriate semantic clustering) when using the intentional instead of the incidental learning strategy. On the long-term memory script-generation task, routine and non-routine events of everyday activities (e.g., buying groceries) had to be generated in either chronological or inverted temporal order. Patients were slower than controls at generating events in the chronological routine condition only. They also committed more sequencing and boundary errors in the inverted conditions. The number of irrelevant events was higher in patients in the chronological, non-routine condition. These results suggest that patients with schizophrenia imprecisely access temporal information from short- and long-term memory. In short-term memory, processing of temporal information led to a reduction in errors rather than, as was the case in healthy controls, to an improvement in temporal-order recall. When accessing temporal information from long-term memory, patients were slower and committed more sequencing, boundary, and intrusion errors. Together, these results suggest that time information can be accessed and processed only imprecisely by patients who provide evidence for impaired time comprehension. This could contribute to symptomatic cognitive deficits and strategic inefficiency in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Landgraf
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Inserm-Laboratory of Psychopathology and Mental Diseases, Center for Psychiatry and Neuroscience, U984, Sainte Anne Hospital, Service-Hospitalo Universitaire, Paris, France
| | - Joerg Steingen
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Yvonne Eppert
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Elke van der Meer
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Frank Krueger
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Hedman AM, van Haren NEM, Schnack HG, Kahn RS, Hulshoff Pol HE. Human brain changes across the life span: a review of 56 longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging studies. Hum Brain Mapp 2011; 33:1987-2002. [PMID: 21915942 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.21334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 286] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2010] [Revised: 03/10/2011] [Accepted: 03/31/2011] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
There is consistent evidence that brain volume changes in early and late life. Most longitudinal studies usually only span a few years and include a limited number of participants. In this review, we integrate findings from 56 longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies on whole brain volume change in healthy individuals. The individual longitudinal MRI studies describe only the development in a limited age range. In total, 2,211 participants were included. Age at first measurement varied between 4 and 88 years of age. The studies included in this review were performed using a large range of methods (e.g., different scanner protocols and different acquisition parameters). We applied a weighted regression analysis to estimate the age dependency of the rate of relative annual brain volume change across studies. The results indicate that whole brain volume changes throughout the life span. A wave of growth occurs during childhood/adolescence, where around 9 years of age a 1% annual brain growth is found which levels off until at age 13 a gradual volume decrease sets in. During young adulthood, between ∼18 and 35 years of age, possibly another wave of growth occurs or at least a period of no brain tissue loss. After age 35 years, a steady volume loss is found of 0.2% per year, which accelerates gradually to an annual brain volume loss of 0.5% at age 60. The brains of people over 60 years of age show a steady volume loss of more than 0.5%. Understanding the mechanisms underlying these plastic brain changes may contribute to distinguishing progressive brain changes in psychiatric and neurological diseases from healthy aging processes. Hum Brain Mapp, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Hedman
- Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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Schaufelberger MS, Lappin JM, Duran FLS, Rosa PGP, Uchida RR, Santos LC, Murray RM, McGuire PK, Scazufca M, Menezes PR, Busatto GF. Lack of progression of brain abnormalities in first-episode psychosis: a longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging study. Psychol Med 2011; 41:1677-1689. [PMID: 21144111 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291710002163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Some neuroimaging studies have supported the hypothesis of progressive brain changes after a first episode of psychosis. We aimed to determine whether (i) first-episode psychosis patients would exhibit more pronounced brain volumetric changes than controls over time and (ii) illness course/treatment would relate to those changes. METHOD Longitudinal regional grey matter volume and ventricle:brain ratio differences between 39 patients with first-episode psychosis (including schizophrenia and schizophreniform disorder) and 52 non-psychotic controls enrolled in a population-based case-control study. RESULTS While there was no longitudinal difference in ventricle:brain ratios between first-episode psychosis subjects and controls, patients exhibited grey matter volume changes, indicating a reversible course in the superior temporal cortex and hippocampus compared with controls. A remitting course was related to reversal of baseline temporal grey matter deficits. CONCLUSIONS Our findings do not support the hypothesis of brain changes indicating a progressive course in the initial phase of psychosis. Rather, some brain volume abnormalities may be reversible, possibly associated with a better illness course.
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Affiliation(s)
- M S Schaufelberger
- Department and Institute of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil.
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40
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Olabi B, Ellison-Wright I, McIntosh AM, Wood SJ, Bullmore E, Lawrie SM. Are there progressive brain changes in schizophrenia? A meta-analysis of structural magnetic resonance imaging studies. Biol Psychiatry 2011; 70:88-96. [PMID: 21457946 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2011.01.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 364] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2010] [Revised: 01/21/2011] [Accepted: 01/22/2011] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is well established that schizophrenia is associated with structural brain abnormalities, but whether these are static or progress over time remains controversial. METHODS A systematic review of longitudinal volumetric studies using region-of-interest structural magnetic resonance imaging in patients with schizophrenia and healthy control subjects. The percentage change in volume between scans for each brain region of interest was obtained, and data were combined using random effects meta-analysis. RESULTS Twenty-seven studies were included in the meta-analysis, with 928 patients and 867 control subjects, and 32 different brain regions of interest. Subjects with schizophrenia showed significantly greater decreases over time in whole brain volume, whole brain gray matter, frontal gray and white matter, parietal white matter, and temporal white matter volume, as well as larger increases in lateral ventricular volume, than healthy control subjects. The time between baseline and follow-up magnetic resonance imaging scans ranged from 1 to 10 years. The differences between patients and control subjects in annualized percentage volume change were -.07% for whole brain volume, -.59% for whole brain gray matter, -.32% for frontal white matter, -.32% for parietal white matter, -.39% for temporal white matter, and +.36% for bilateral lateral ventricles. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that schizophrenia is associated with progressive structural brain abnormalities, affecting both gray and white matter. We found no evidence to suggest progressive medial temporal lobe involvement but did find evidence that this may be partly explained by heterogeneity between studies in patient age and illness duration. The causes and clinical correlates of these progressive brain changes should now be the focus of investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bayanne Olabi
- Division of Psychiatry, School of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
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41
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Irle E, Lange C, Ruhleder M, Exner C, Siemerkus J, Weniger G. Hippocampal size in women but not men with schizophrenia relates to disorder duration. Psychiatry Res 2011; 192:133-9. [PMID: 21546218 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2010.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2010] [Revised: 12/12/2010] [Accepted: 12/13/2010] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Longitudinal studies have failed to find progressive hippocampal size reduction in schizophrenia. However, negative results may have been due to follow-up intervals at disease stages where no significant progressive brain changes occur. Furthermore, only male or mixed gender samples have been studied. Forty-six patients with schizophrenia (23 females) and 46 healthy controls (23 females) underwent three-dimensional structural magnetic resonance imaging of the hippocampus and a clinical investigation. Compared with controls, male but not female participants with schizophrenia displayed hippocampal size reduction. Hippocampal size of female but not male schizophrenia patients was related to disorder duration, indicating smaller hippocampal size in female patients with longer disorder duration. Female schizophrenia patients displayed normal hippocampal size at the onset of disorder, but similarly reduced hippocampal size as male schizophrenia patients after some years of illness had passed. Our results suggest preserved hippocampal size in women with schizophrenia during the first years of illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Irle
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Göttingen, Germany.
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42
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Vernon AC, Natesan S, Modo M, Kapur S. Effect of chronic antipsychotic treatment on brain structure: a serial magnetic resonance imaging study with ex vivo and postmortem confirmation. Biol Psychiatry 2011; 69:936-44. [PMID: 21195390 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2010] [Revised: 11/03/2010] [Accepted: 11/03/2010] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is increasing evidence that antipsychotic (APD) may affect brain structure directly. To examine this, we developed a rodent model that uses clinically relevant doses and serial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), followed by postmortem histopathological analysis to study the effects of APD on brain structures. METHODS Antipsychotic , haloperidol, and olanzapine were continuously administered to rats via osmotic minipumps to maintain clinic-like steady state levels for 8 weeks. Longitudinal in vivo MRI scanning (T₂-weighted) was carried out at baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks, after which animals were perfused and their brains preserved for ex vivo MRI scanning. Region of interest analyses were performed on magnetic resonance images (both in vivo as well as ex vivo) along with postmortem stereology using the Cavalieri estimator probe. RESULTS Chronic (8 weeks) exposure to both haloperidol and olanzapine resulted in significant decreases in whole-brain volume (6% to 8%) compared with vehicle-treated control subjects, driven mainly by a decrease in frontal cerebral cortex volume (8% to 12%). Hippocampal, corpus striatum, lateral ventricles, and corpus callosum volumes were not significantly different from control subjects, suggesting a differential effect of APD on the cortex. These results were corroborated by ex vivo MRI scans and decreased cortical volume was confirmed postmortem by stereology. CONCLUSIONS This is the first systematic whole-brain MRI study of the effects of APD, which highlights significant effects on the cortex. Although caution needs to be exerted when extrapolating results from animals to patients, the approach provides a tractable method for linking in vivo MRI findings to their histopathological origins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony C Vernon
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
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Adriano F, Caltagirone C, Spalletta G. Hippocampal volume reduction in first-episode and chronic schizophrenia: a review and meta-analysis. Neuroscientist 2011; 18:180-200. [PMID: 21531988 DOI: 10.1177/1073858410395147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 211] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Several magnetic resonance imaging studies have reported hippocampal volume reduction in patients with schizophrenia, but other studies have reported contrasting results. In this review and meta-analysis, the authors aim to clarify whether a reduction in hippocampal volume characterizes patients with schizophrenia by considering illness phase (chronic and first episode) and hippocampus side separately. They made a detailed literature search for studies reporting physical volumetric hippocampal measures of patients with schizophrenia and healthy control (HC) participants and found 44 studies that were eligible for meta-analysis. Individual meta-analyses were also performed on 13 studies of first-episode patients and on 22 studies of chronic patients. The authors also detected any different findings when only males or both males and females were considered. Finally, additional meta-analyses and analyses of variance investigated the role of the factors "illness phase" and "side" on hippocampal volume reduction. Overall, the patient group showed significant bilateral hippocampal volume reduction compared with HC. Interestingly, first-episode and chronic patients showed same-size hippocampal volume reduction. Moreover, the left hippocampus was smaller than the right hippocampus in patients and HC. This review and meta-analysis raises the question about whether hippocampal volume reduction in schizophrenia is of neurodevelopmental origin. Future studies should specifically investigate this issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fulvia Adriano
- Laboratory of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
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Landgraf S, Amado I, Purkhart R, Ries J, Olié JP, van der Meer E. Visuo-spatial cognition in schizophrenia: confirmation of a preference for local information processing. Schizophr Res 2011; 127:163-70. [PMID: 21186098 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2010.11.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2010] [Revised: 11/18/2010] [Accepted: 11/29/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
During visuo-spatial cognitive tasks, patients with schizophrenia show a preference for local (detailed) rather than global (holistic) information processing. The efficiency of such information processing is influenced by task difficulty. We tested whether patients' preference for local processing would persist if task demands favored global or local processing. Twenty-four stabilized patients with schizophrenia (SZ) and 25 healthy, matched controls (C) were tested in a mental mirroring task. Task difficulty was manipulated while stimulus surface structures were maintained unchanged. Information processing was assessed by recording eye movements. SZ were slower than C in the easiest condition but they made more errors than C in the more difficult conditions. Further, SZ did not adapt their average fixation duration to task demands resulting in longer fixation duration in the easiest condition and shorter fixation duration in the most difficult condition compared to C. These findings suggest that patients employ local information processing even when it is maladaptive for task demands. That is, patients do not adapt their fixation duration to task demands implicating (i) a preference for scanning local stimuli features and (ii) information processing inflexibility. These features need to be taken into account when evaluating visuo-spatial cognitive performance in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Landgraf
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Psychology, Rudower Chaussee 18, 12489 Berlin, Germany.
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45
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Andreasen NC. The lifetime trajectory of schizophrenia and the concept of neurodevelopment. DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2010. [PMID: 20954434 PMCID: PMC3181981 DOI: 10.31887/dcns.2010.12.3/nandreasen] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Defining the lifetime trajectory of schizophrenia and the mechanisms that drive it is one of the major challenges of schizophrenia research. Kraepelin assumed that the mechanisms were neurodegenerative (“dementia praecox”), and the early imaging work using computerized tomography seemed to support this model. Prominent ventricular enlargement and increased cerebrospinal fluid on the brain surface suggested that the brain had atrophied. In the 1980s, however, both neuropathological findings and evidence from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provided evidence suggesting that neurodevelopmental mechanisms might be a better explanation. This model is supported by both clinical and MRI evidence, particularly the fact that brain abnormalities are already present in first-episode patients. However, longitudinal studies of these patients have found evidence that brain tissue is also lost during the years after onset. The most parsimonious explanation of these findings is that neurodevelopment is a process that is ongoing throughout life, and that schizophrenia occurs as a consequence of aberrations in neurodevelopmental processes that could occur at various stages of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy C Andreasen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Health Care, Iowa City, USA.
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Williams LE, Must A, Avery S, Woolard A, Woodward ND, Cohen NJ, Heckers S. Eye-movement behavior reveals relational memory impairment in schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry 2010; 68:617-24. [PMID: 20655509 PMCID: PMC3184178 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.05.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [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] [Received: 11/30/2009] [Revised: 05/18/2010] [Accepted: 05/19/2010] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have demonstrated impaired relational memory in schizophrenia. We studied eye-movement behavior as an indirect measure of relational memory, together with forced-choice recognition as an explicit measure. METHODS Thirty-five patients with schizophrenia and 35 healthy participants were trained to associate a face with a background scene. During testing, scenes were presented as a cue and then overlaid with three previously studied faces. Participants were asked to recall the matching face, and both eye movements and forced-choice recognition were recorded. During Non-Match trials, no faces matched the scene. During Match trials, one of the faces had previously been paired with the scene. RESULTS On Non-Match trials, when no relational memory trace was present, both groups viewed the three faces equally. In contrast, on Match trials, control participants quickly (within 500 msec) and consistently (70%-75% of test trial viewing) showed preferential viewing of the matching face. Viewing of the matching face was significantly delayed and reduced in schizophrenia participants. Forced-choice recognition of the matching face was also impaired in the patient group. An analysis of all correct Match trials revealed that preferential viewing was significantly reduced and delayed in participants with schizophrenia. CONCLUSIONS This study provides novel evidence for a specific relational memory impairment in schizophrenia. Patients showed deficits in their forced-choice recognition responses, as well as abnormal eye-movement patterns during memory recall, even on trials when behavioral responses were accurate. We propose that eye movements provide a promising new avenue for studying relational memory in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa E Williams
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, USA
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47
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Maller JJ, Daskalakis ZJ, Thomson RHS, Daigle M, Barr MS, Fitzgerald PB. Hippocampal volumetrics in treatment-resistant depression and schizophrenia: the devil's in de-tail. Hippocampus 2010; 22:9-16. [PMID: 20882552 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.20873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/13/2010] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Studies of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and schizophrenia (SCH) have revealed reduced hippocampal volumes, but findings have been inconsistent due to sample and measurement differences. The current study sought to measure this structure in a large sample of MDD, SCH, and healthy subjects, using a strict measurement protocol, to elucidate morphological-specific volumetric differences. Patients with treatment-resistant MDD (N = 182) and treatment-resistant SCH with auditory-verbal hallucinations (N = 52), and healthy controls (N = 76) underwent psychiatric assessments and brain MRI. The findings indicate that (1) MDD and SCH patients have reduced total hippocampal volume which was marked in the tails (more so in patients with MDD), (2) region of interest estimation protocols and sample characteristics may help explain volumetric differences between previous SCH studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerome J Maller
- Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, The Alfred and Monash University School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Melbourne Victoria, Australia.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND People with schizophrenia are often found to have smaller brains and larger brain ventricles than normal, but the role of antipsychotic medication remains unclear. METHOD We conducted a systematic review of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies. We included longitudinal studies of brain changes in patients taking antipsychotic drugs and we examined studies of antipsychotic-naive patients for comparison purposes. RESULTS Fourteen out of 26 longitudinal studies showed a decline in global brain or grey-matter volume or an increase in ventricular or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volume during the course of drug treatment, including the largest studies conducted. The frontal lobe was most consistently affected, but overall changes were diffuse. One large study found different degrees of volume loss with different antipsychotics, and another found that volume changes were associated with taking medication compared with taking none. Analyses of linear associations between drug exposure and brain volume changes produced mixed results. Five out of 21 studies of patients who were drug naive, or had only minimal prior treatment, showed some differences from controls in volumes of interest. No global differences were reported in three studies of drug-naive patients with long-term illness. Studies of high-risk groups have not demonstrated differences from controls in global or lobar brain volumes. CONCLUSIONS Some evidence points towards the possibility that antipsychotic drugs reduce the volume of brain matter and increase ventricular or fluid volume. Antipsychotics may contribute to the genesis of some of the abnormalities usually attributed to schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Moncrieff
- Department of Mental Health Sciences, University College London, UK.
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Anticevic A, Repovs G, Van Snellenberg JX, Csernansky JG, Barch DM. Subcortical alignment precision in patients with schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2010; 120:76-83. [PMID: 20097545 PMCID: PMC2888871 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2009.12.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2009] [Revised: 12/21/2009] [Accepted: 12/29/2009] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Previous work has demonstrated less accurate alignment of cortical structures for patients with schizophrenia than for matched control subjects when using affine registration techniques. Such a mismatch presents a potential confound for functional neuroimaging studies conducting between-group comparisons. Critically, the same issues may be present for subcortical structures. However, to date no study has explicitly investigated alignment precision for major subcortical structures in patients with schizophrenia. Thus, to address this question we used methods previously validated for assessment of cortical alignment precision to examine alignment precision of subcortical structures. In contrasts to our results with cortex, we found that major subcortical structures (i.e. amygdala, caudate, hippocampus, pallidum, putamen and thalamus) showed similar alignment precision for schizophrenia (N=48) and control subjects (N=45) regardless of the template used (other individuals with schizophrenia or healthy controls). Taken together, the present results show that, unlike cortex, alignment for six major subcortical structures is not compromised in patients with schizophrenia and as such is unlikely to confound between-group functional neuroimaging investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Anticevic
- Department of Psychology, Washington University in St. Louis, MO 63130, USA.
| | - Grega Repovs
- Department of Psychology, University of Ljubljana
| | | | | | - Deanna M. Barch
- Department of Psychology, Washington University in St. Louis
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Klär AA, Ballmaier M, Leopold K, Häke I, Schaefer M, Brühl R, Schubert F, Gallinat J. Interaction of hippocampal volume and N-acetylaspartate concentration deficits in schizophrenia: a combined MRI and 1H-MRS study. Neuroimage 2010; 53:51-7. [PMID: 20541020 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2010.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2009] [Revised: 05/28/2010] [Accepted: 06/03/2010] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Volume deficits assessed with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and neurochemical dysfunctions (N-acetylaspartate, NAA) diagnosed using proton MR spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) are reliable observations in the hippocampus of schizophrenic patients. NAA is an important cerebral amino acid in the synthesis pathways of glutamate, which has been implicated as a pathobiological core of schizophrenic symptomatology, of histological alterations and brain volume deficits in schizophrenia. However, the possible interaction between regional NAA reduction and volume deficits has been targeted only marginally in previous investigations. METHODS In 29 schizophrenic patients and 44 control subjects, a multimodal imaging study with (1)H-MRS and MRI volumetry of the left hippocampus was performed on a 3-Tesla scanner. RESULTS Compared to the control group, the hippocampus of the patients exhibited a significant volume reduction and a significant NAA concentration decrease. In schizophrenic patients, but not in healthy controls, a significant negative correlation between hippocampal NAA concentration and volume (r=-0.455, p=0.017) was observed. None of the imaging parameters was associated with clinical parameters. CONCLUSIONS The results argue for a coexistent neurochemical and structural deficit in the hippocampus of schizophrenic patients. The inverse relationship between the two parameters observed in patients only may reflect an interaction of neurochemistry and brain morphology as a pathobiological mechanism in schizophrenia. This observation is compatible with the important role of NAA in the synthesis of excitatory neurotransmitters and the hypothesized role of glutamate for brain morphology. The independence of the measured imaging parameters from clinical parameters is in line with the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Arthur Klär
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-University Medicine Berlin, Campus Mitte, Berlin, Germany.
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