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Sapienza J, Agostoni G, Comai S, Nasini S, Dall'Acqua S, Sut S, Spangaro M, Martini F, Bechi M, Buonocore M, Bigai G, Repaci F, Nocera D, Ave C, Guglielmino C, Cocchi F, Cavallaro R, Deste G, Bosia M. Neuroinflammation and kynurenines in schizophrenia: Impact on cognition depending on cognitive functioning and modulatory properties in relation to cognitive remediation and aerobic exercise. Schizophr Res Cogn 2024; 38:100328. [PMID: 39281320 PMCID: PMC11399803 DOI: 10.1016/j.scog.2024.100328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 08/26/2024] [Accepted: 08/26/2024] [Indexed: 09/18/2024]
Abstract
Background In the last decade, the kynurenine pathway (KP) has gained attention in the pathogenesis of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia being at the croassroad between neuroinflammation and glutamatergic and cholinergic neurotransmission. However, clinical findings are scarse and conflicting, and the specific contributions of these two systems to the neurobiology of cognitive symptoms are far from being elucidated. Furthermore, little is known about the molecular underpinnings of non-pharmacological interventions for cognitive improvement, including rehabilitation strategies. Methods The current study examined 72 patients with schizophrenia, divided in two clusters depending on the severity of the cognitive impairment, with the aim to evaluate the impact of inflammatory biomarkers and KP metabolites depending on cognitive functioning. Moreover, we studied their possible link to the cognitive outcome in relation to sessions of cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) and aerobic exercise (AE) in a longitudinal arm of 42 patients. Results Neuroinflammation appeared to exert a more pronounced influence on cognition in patients exhibiting a higher cognitive functioning, contrasting with the activation of the KP, which had a greater impact on individuals with a lower cognitive profile. Cognitive improvements after the treatments were negatively predicted by levels of TNF-α and positively predicted by the 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK)/kynurenine (KYN) ratio, an index of the kynurenine-3-monooxygenase (KMO) enzyme activity. Conclusion Overall, these findings add novel evidence on the biological underpinnings of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia pointing at a differential role of neuroinflammation and KP metabolites in inducing cognitive deficits depending on the cognitive reserve and predicting outcomes after rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Sapienza
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Department of Humanities and Life Sciences, University School for Advanced Studies IUSS, Pavia, Italy
| | - Giulia Agostoni
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Comai
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Division of Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Sofia Nasini
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Stefano Dall'Acqua
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Stefania Sut
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Marco Spangaro
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Martini
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Margherita Bechi
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Mariachiara Buonocore
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Giorgia Bigai
- School of Medicine, Vita -Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Repaci
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniela Nocera
- School of Medicine, Vita -Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Ave
- School of Medicine, Vita -Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Carmelo Guglielmino
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Cocchi
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto Cavallaro
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- School of Medicine, Vita -Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Giacomo Deste
- Department of Mental Health, Spedali Civili Hospital, Brescia, Italy
| | - Marta Bosia
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- School of Medicine, Vita -Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
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Tsapanou A, Mourtzi N, Gu Y, Belsky DW, Barral S, Habeck C, Stern Y. Cognitive Polygenic Index is Associated with Occupational Complexity over and above Brain Morphometry. Behav Genet 2024; 54:398-404. [PMID: 39162726 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-024-10194-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024]
Abstract
Although the impact of occupation on cognitive skills has been extensively studied, there is limited research examining if genetically predicted cognitive score may influence occupation. We examined the association between Cognitive Polygenic Index (PGI) and occupation, including the role of brain measures. Participants were recruited for the Reference Ability Neural Network and the Cognitive Reserve studies. Occupational complexity ratings for Data, People, or Things came from the Dictionary of Occupational Titles. A previously-created Cognitive PGI and linear regression models were used for the analyses. Age, sex, education, and the first 20 genetic Principal Components (PCs) of the sample were covariates. Total cortical thickness and total gray matter volume were further covariates. We included 168 white-ethnicity participants, 20-80 years old. After initial adjustment, higher Cognitive PGI was associated with higher Data complexity (B=-0.526, SE = 0.227, Beta= -0.526 p = 0.022, R2 = 0.259) (lower score implies higher complexity). Associations for People or Things were not significant. After adding brain measures, association for Data remained significant (B=-0.496, SE: 0.245, Beta= -0.422, p = 0.045, R2 = 0.254). Similarly, for a further, fully-adjusted analysis including all the three occupational complexity measures (B=-0.568, SE = 0.237, Beta= -0.483, p = 0.018, R2 = 0.327). Cognitive genes were associated with occupational complexity over and above brain morphometry. Working with Data occupational complexity probably acquires higher cognitive status, which can be significantly genetically predetermined.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Tsapanou
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - N Mourtzi
- Department of Neurology, Aiginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, 11528, Greece
| | - Y Gu
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - D W Belsky
- Department of Neurology, Aiginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, 11528, Greece
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - S Barral
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - C Habeck
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Yaakov Stern
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
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Nakua H, Yu JC, Abdi H, Hawco C, Voineskos A, Hill S, Lai MC, Wheeler AL, McIntosh AR, Ameis SH. Comparing the stability and reproducibility of brain-behavior relationships found using canonical correlation analysis and partial least squares within the ABCD sample. Netw Neurosci 2024; 8:576-596. [PMID: 38952810 PMCID: PMC11168718 DOI: 10.1162/netn_a_00363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Canonical correlation analysis (CCA) and partial least squares correlation (PLS) detect linear associations between two data matrices by computing latent variables (LVs) having maximal correlation (CCA) or covariance (PLS). This study compared the similarity and generalizability of CCA- and PLS-derived brain-behavior relationships. Data were accessed from the baseline Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) dataset (N > 9,000, 9-11 years). The brain matrix consisted of cortical thickness estimates from the Desikan-Killiany atlas. Two phenotypic scales were examined separately as the behavioral matrix; the Child Behavioral Checklist (CBCL) subscale scores and NIH Toolbox performance scores. Resampling methods were used to assess significance and generalizability of LVs. LV1 for the CBCL brain relationships was found to be significant, yet not consistently stable or reproducible, across CCA and PLS models (singular value: CCA = .13, PLS = .39, p < .001). LV1 for the NIH brain relationships showed similar relationships between CCA and PLS and was found to be stable and reproducible (singular value: CCA = .21, PLS = .43, p < .001). The current study suggests that stability and reproducibility of brain-behavior relationships identified by CCA and PLS are influenced by the statistical characteristics of the phenotypic measure used when applied to a large population-based pediatric sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hajer Nakua
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ju-Chi Yu
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hervé Abdi
- The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - Colin Hawco
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Aristotle Voineskos
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sean Hill
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Meng-Chuan Lai
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anne L. Wheeler
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Stephanie H. Ameis
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Razza L, Vanderhasselt M, Luethi M, Repple J, Busatto G, Buchpiguel C, Brunoni A, da Silva P. Cortical thickness is related to working memory performance after non-invasive brain stimulation. Braz J Med Biol Res 2023; 56:e12945. [PMID: 37878887 PMCID: PMC10591489 DOI: 10.1590/1414-431x2023e12945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) probing the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) has been shown to have little effect on working memory. The variability of NIBS responses might be explained by inter-subject brain anatomical variability. We investigated whether baseline cortical brain thickness of regions of interest was associated with working memory performance after NIBS by performing a secondary analysis of previously published research. Structural magnetic resonance imaging data were analyzed from healthy subjects who received transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS), and placebo. Twenty-two participants were randomly assigned to receive all the interventions in a random order. The working memory task was conducted after the end of each NIBS session. Regions of interest were the bilateral DLPFC, medial prefrontal cortex, and posterior cingulate cortex. Overall, 66 NIBS sessions were performed. Findings revealed a negative significant association between cortical thickness of the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and reaction time for both tDCS (left: P=0.045, right: P=0.037) and iTBS (left: P=0.007, right: P=0.007) compared to placebo. A significant positive association was found for iTBS and posterior cingulate cortex (P=0.03). No association was found for accuracy. Our findings provide the first evidence that individual cortical thickness of healthy subjects might be associated with working memory performance following different NIBS interventions. Therefore, cortical thickness could explain - to some extent - the heterogeneous effects of NIBS probing the DLPFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- L.B. Razza
- Department of Head and Skin - Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Ghent, Belgium
| | - M.A. Vanderhasselt
- Department of Head and Skin - Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Ghent, Belgium
| | - M.S. Luethi
- Serviço Interdisciplinar de Neuromodulação, Laboratório de Neurociências (LIM-27), Departamento e Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - J. Repple
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - G. Busatto
- Laboratório de Neuroimagem em Psiquiatria (LIM-21) e Instituto de Psiquiatria, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - C.A. Buchpiguel
- Divisão de Medicina Nuclear (LIM-43), Instituto de Radiologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - A.R. Brunoni
- Serviço Interdisciplinar de Neuromodulação, Laboratório de Neurociências (LIM-27), Departamento e Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
- Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
- Hospital Universitário, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - P.H.R. da Silva
- Serviço Interdisciplinar de Neuromodulação, Laboratório de Neurociências (LIM-27), Departamento e Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
- Hospital Universitário, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
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Zeng Y, Guo R, Cao S, Yang H. Causal associations between blood lipids and brain structures: a Mendelian randomization study. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:10901-10908. [PMID: 37718242 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The potential causal association between dyslipidemia and brain structures remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether circulating lipids are causally associated with brain structure alterations using Mendelian randomization analysis. Genome-wide association study summary statistics of blood lipids and brain structures were obtained from publicly available databases. Inverse-variance weighted method was used as the primary method to assess causality. In addition, four additional Mendelian randomization methods (MR-Egger, weighted median, simple mode, and weighted mode) were applied to supplement inverse-variance weighted. Furthermore, Cochrane's Q test, MR-Egger intercept test, MR-PRESSO global test, and leave-one-out analysis were performed for sensitivity analyses. After Bonferroni corrections, two causal associations were finally identified: elevated non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level leads to higher average cortical thickness (β = 0.0066 mm, 95% confidence interval: 0.0045-0.0087 mm, P = 0.001); and elevated high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level leads to higher inferior temporal surface area (β = 18.6077 mm2, 95% confidence interval: 11.9835-25.2320 mm2, P = 0.005). Four additional Mendelian randomization methods indicated parallel results. Sensitivity tests demonstrated the stability. Overall, the present study showed causal relationships between several lipid profiles and specific brain structures, providing new insights into the link between dyslipidemia and neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youjie Zeng
- Department of Anesthesiology, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
| | - Ren Guo
- Department of Pharmacy, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
| | - Si Cao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
| | - Heng Yang
- Department of Neurology, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
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Kollndorfer K, Novak A, Nenning KH, Fischmeister FPS, Seidl R, Langs G, Kasprian G, Prayer D, Bartha-Doering L. Cortical thickness in the right medial frontal gyrus predicts planning performance in healthy children and adolescents. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1196707. [PMID: 37794918 PMCID: PMC10546024 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1196707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to plan is an important part of the set of the cognitive skills called "executive functions." To be able to plan actions in advance is of great importance in everyday life and constitutes one of the major key features for academic as well as economic success. The present study aimed to investigate the neuroanatomical correlates of planning in normally developing children, as measured by the cortical thickness of the prefrontal cortex. Eighteen healthy children and adolescents underwent structural MRI examinations and the Tower of London (ToL) task. A multiple regression analysis revealed that the cortical thickness of the right caudal middle frontal gyrus (cMFG) was a significant predictor of planning performance. Neither the cortical thickness of any other prefrontal area nor gender were significantly associated with performance in the ToL task. The results of the present exploratory study suggest that the cortical thickness of the right, but not the left cMFG, is positively correlated with performance in the ToL task. We, therefore, conclude that increased cortical thickness may be more beneficial for higher-order processes, such as information integration, than for lower-order processes, such as the analysis of external information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Kollndorfer
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Developmental and Interventional Imaging (DIN) Lab, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Astrid Novak
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Karl-Heinz Nenning
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Computational Imaging Research Lab (CIR), Vienna, Austria
- Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
| | - Florian Ph S. Fischmeister
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Developmental and Interventional Imaging (DIN) Lab, Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Rainer Seidl
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg Langs
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Computational Imaging Research Lab (CIR), Vienna, Austria
| | - Gregor Kasprian
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniela Prayer
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lisa Bartha-Doering
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Tsapanou A, Gacheru M, Lee S, Mourtzi N, Gazes Y, Habeck C, Belsky DW, Stern Y. Association of Cognitive Polygenic Index and Cognitive Performance with Age in Cognitively Healthy Adults. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1814. [PMID: 37761954 PMCID: PMC10531331 DOI: 10.3390/genes14091814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies have discovered common genetic variants associated with cognitive performance. Polygenic scores that summarize these discoveries explain up to 10% of the variance in cognitive test performance in samples of adults. However, the role these genetics play in cognitive aging is not well understood. We analyzed data from 168 cognitively healthy participants aged 23-77 years old, with data on genetics, neuropsychological assessment, and brain-imaging measurements from two large ongoing studies, the Reference Abilities Neural Networks, and the Cognitive Reserve study. We tested whether a polygenic index previously related to cognition (Cog PGI) would moderate the relationship between age and measurements of the cognitive domains extracted from a neuropsychological evaluation: fluid reasoning, memory, vocabulary, and speed of processing. We further explored the relationship of Cog PGI and age on cognition using Johnson-Neyman intervals for two-way interactions. Sex, education, and brain measures of cortical thickness, total gray matter volume, and white matter hyperintensity were considered covariates. The analysis controlled for population structure-ancestry. There was a significant interaction effect of Cog PGI on the association between age and the domains of memory (Standardized coefficient = -0.158, p-value = 0.022), fluid reasoning (Standardized coefficient = -0.146, p-value = 0.020), and vocabulary (Standardized coefficient = -0.191, p-value = 0.001). Higher PGI strengthened the negative relationship between age and the domains of memory and fluid reasoning while PGI weakened the positive relationship between age and vocabulary. Based on the Johnson-Neyman intervals, Cog PGI was significantly associated with domains of memory, reasoning, and vocabulary for younger adults. There is a significant moderation effect of genetic predisposition for cognition for the association between age and cognitive performance. Genetics discovered in genome-wide association studies of cognitive performance show a stronger association in young and midlife older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angeliki Tsapanou
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; (A.T.); (C.H.)
| | - Margaret Gacheru
- Department of Biostatistics, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY 10032, USA;
| | - Seonjoo Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Niki Mourtzi
- Department of Neurology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10679 Athens, Greece
| | - Yunglin Gazes
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; (A.T.); (C.H.)
| | - Christian Habeck
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; (A.T.); (C.H.)
| | - Daniel W. Belsky
- Department of Epidemiology and Butler Columbia Aging Center, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Yaakov Stern
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; (A.T.); (C.H.)
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Han Y, Yang Y, Zhou Z, Jin X, Shi H, Shao M, Song M, Su X, Wang Q, Liu Q, Li W, Lv L. Cortical anatomical variations, gene expression profiles, and clinical phenotypes in patients with schizophrenia. Neuroimage Clin 2023; 39:103451. [PMID: 37315484 PMCID: PMC10509526 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS Schizophrenia (SZ) patients display significant structural brain abnormalities; nevertheless, the genetic mechanisms regulating cortical anatomical variations and their correlation with the disease phenotype are still ambiguous. STUDY DESIGN We characterized anatomical variation using a surface-based method derived from structural magnetic resonance imaging of patients with SZ and age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs). Partial least-squares regression was performed across cortex regions between anatomical variation and average transcriptional profiles of SZ risk genes and all qualified genes from the Allen Human Brain Atlas. The morphological features of each brain region were correlated to symptomology variables in patients with SZ using partial correlation analysis. STUDY RESULTS A total of 203 SZ and 201 HCs were included in the final analysis. We observed significant variation of 55 regions of cortical thickness, 23 regions of volume, 7 regions of area, and 55 regions of local gyrification index (LGI) between SZ and HC groups. Expression profiles of 4 SZ risk genes and 96 genes from all qualified genes showed a correlation to anatomical variability, however, after multiple comparisons, the correlations were no longer significant. LGI variability in multiple frontal subregions was associated with specific symptoms of SZ, whereas cognitive function involving attention/vigilance was linked to LGI variability across nine brain regions. CONCLUSIONS Cortical anatomical variation of patients with schizophrenia is associated with gene transcriptome profiles as well as clinical phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Han
- Department of Psychiatry, Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China; Henan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry, International Joint Research Laboratory for Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Yongfeng Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China; Henan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry, International Joint Research Laboratory for Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Zhilu Zhou
- Department of Psychiatry, Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China; Henan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry, International Joint Research Laboratory for Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Xueyan Jin
- Department of Psychiatry, Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China; Henan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry, International Joint Research Laboratory for Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Han Shi
- Department of Psychiatry, Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China; Henan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry, International Joint Research Laboratory for Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Minglong Shao
- Department of Psychiatry, Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China; Henan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry, International Joint Research Laboratory for Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Meng Song
- Department of Psychiatry, Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China; Henan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry, International Joint Research Laboratory for Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Xi Su
- Department of Psychiatry, Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China; Henan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry, International Joint Research Laboratory for Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China; Henan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry, International Joint Research Laboratory for Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Qing Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China; Henan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry, International Joint Research Laboratory for Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Wenqiang Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China; Henan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry, International Joint Research Laboratory for Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China.
| | - Luxian Lv
- Department of Psychiatry, Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China; Henan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry, International Joint Research Laboratory for Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China.
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9
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Karcher NR, Merchant J, Rappaport BI, Barch DM. Associations with youth psychotic-like experiences over time: Evidence for trans-symptom and specific cognitive and neural risk factors. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND CLINICAL SCIENCE 2023; 132:514-526. [PMID: 37023280 PMCID: PMC10164137 DOI: 10.1037/abn0000820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
The current study examined whether impairments in cognitive and neural factors at baseline (ages 9-10) predict initial levels or changes in psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) and whether such impairments generalize to other psychopathology symptoms (i.e., internalizing and externalizing symptoms). Using unique longitudinal Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study data, the study examined three time points from ages 9 to 13. Univariate latent growth models examined associations between baseline cognitive and neural metrics with symptom measures using discovery (n = 5,926) and replication (n = 5,952) data sets. For symptom measures (i.e., PLEs, internalizing, externalizing), we examined mean initial levels (i.e., intercepts) and changes over time (i.e., slopes). Predictors included neuropsychological test performance, global structural MRI, and several a priori within-network resting-state functional connectivity metrics. Results showed a pattern whereby baseline cognitive and brain metric impairments showed the strongest associations with PLEs over time. Lower cognitive, volume, surface area, and cingulo-opercular within-network connectivity metrics showed associations with increased PLEs and higher initial levels of externalizing and internalizing symptoms. Several metrics were uniquely associated with PLEs, including lower cortical thickness with higher initial PLEs and lower default mode network connectivity with increased PLEs slopes. Neural and cognitive impairments in middle childhood were broadly associated with increased PLEs over time, and showed stronger associations with PLEs compared with other psychopathology symptoms. The current study also identified markers potentially uniquely associated with PLEs (e.g., cortical thickness). Impairments in broad cognitive metrics, brain volume and surface area, and a network associated with information integration may represent risk factors for general psychopathology. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jaisal Merchant
- Department of Psychology, Washington University in St. Louis
| | | | - Deanna M. Barch
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine
- Department of Psychology, Washington University in St. Louis
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10
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Santarriaga S, Gerlovin K, Layadi Y, Karmacharya R. Human stem cell-based models to study synaptic dysfunction and cognition in schizophrenia: A narrative review. Schizophr Res 2023:S0920-9964(23)00084-1. [PMID: 36925354 PMCID: PMC10500041 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2023.02.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive impairment is the strongest predictor of functional outcomes in schizophrenia and is hypothesized to result from synaptic dysfunction. However, targeting synaptic plasticity and cognitive deficits in patients remains a significant clinical challenge. A comprehensive understanding of synaptic plasticity and the molecular basis of learning and memory in a disease context can provide specific targets for the development of novel therapeutics targeting cognitive impairments in schizophrenia. Here, we describe the role of synaptic plasticity in cognition, summarize evidence for synaptic dysfunction in schizophrenia and demonstrate the use of patient derived induced-pluripotent stem cells for studying synaptic plasticity in vitro. Lastly, we discuss current advances and future technologies for bridging basic science research of synaptic dysfunction with clinical and translational research that can be used to predict treatment response and develop novel therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Santarriaga
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Chemical Biology and Therapeutic Science Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kaia Gerlovin
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Chemical Biology and Therapeutic Science Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Yasmine Layadi
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Chimie ParisTech, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, Paris, France
| | - Rakesh Karmacharya
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Chemical Biology and Therapeutic Science Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA.
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11
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Nakua H, Yu JC, Abdi H, Hawco C, Voineskos A, Hill S, Lai MC, Wheeler AL, McIntosh AR, Ameis SH. Comparing the stability and reproducibility of brain-behaviour relationships found using Canonical Correlation Analysis and Partial Least Squares within the ABCD Sample. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.08.531763. [PMID: 36945610 PMCID: PMC10028915 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.08.531763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Introduction Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) and Partial Least Squares Correlation (PLS) detect associations between two data matrices based on computing a linear combination between the two matrices (called latent variables; LVs). These LVs maximize correlation (CCA) and covariance (PLS). These different maximization criteria may render one approach more stable and reproducible than the other when working with brain and behavioural data at the population-level. This study compared the LVs which emerged from CCA and PLS analyses of brain-behaviour relationships from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) dataset and examined their stability and reproducibility. Methods Structural T1-weighted imaging and behavioural data were accessed from the baseline Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development dataset (N > 9000, ages = 9-11 years). The brain matrix consisted of cortical thickness estimates in different cortical regions. The behavioural matrix consisted of 11 subscale scores from the parent-reported Child Behavioral Checklist (CBCL) or 7 cognitive performance measures from the NIH Toolbox. CCA and PLS models were separately applied to the brain-CBCL analysis and brain-cognition analysis. A permutation test was used to assess whether identified LVs were statistically significant. A series of resampling statistical methods were used to assess stability and reproducibility of the LVs. Results When examining the relationship between cortical thickness and CBCL scores, the first LV was found to be significant across both CCA and PLS models (singular value: CCA = .13, PLS = .39, p < .001). LV1 from the CCA model found that covariation of CBCL scores was linked to covariation of cortical thickness. LV1 from the PLS model identified decreased cortical thickness linked to lower CBCL scores. There was limited evidence of stability or reproducibility of LV1 for both CCA and PLS. When examining the relationship between cortical thickness and cognitive performance, there were 6 significant LVs for both CCA and PLS (p < .01). The first LV showed similar relationships between CCA and PLS and was found to be stable and reproducible (singular value: CCA = .21, PLS = .43, p < .001). Conclusion CCA and PLS identify different brain-behaviour relationships with limited stability and reproducibility when examining the relationship between cortical thickness and parent-reported behavioural measures. However, both methods identified relatively similar brain-behaviour relationships that were stable and reproducible when examining the relationship between cortical thickness and cognitive performance. The results of the current study suggest that stability and reproducibility of brain-behaviour relationships identified by CCA and PLS are influenced by characteristics of the analyzed sample and the included behavioural measurements when applied to a large pediatric dataset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hajer Nakua
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ju-Chi Yu
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hervé Abdi
- The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas, United States
| | - Colin Hawco
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Aristotle Voineskos
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sean Hill
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Meng-Chuan Lai
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anne L. Wheeler
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Stephanie H. Ameis
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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12
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Tsapanou A, Mourtzi N, Gu Y, Habeck C, Belsky D, Stern Y. Polygenic indices for cognition in healthy aging; the role of brain measures. NEUROIMAGE. REPORTS 2023; 3:100153. [PMID: 36969093 PMCID: PMC10038095 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynirp.2022.100153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Background Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified large numbers of genetic variants associated with cognition. However, little is known about how these genetic discoveries impact cognitive aging. Methods We conducted polygenic-index (PGI) analysis of cognitive performance in n = 168 European-ancestry adults aged 20-80. We computed PGIs based on GWAS of cognitive performance in young/middle-aged and older adults. We tested associations of the PGI with cognitive performance, as measured through neuropsychological evaluation. We explored whether these associations were accounted for by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures of brain-aging phenotypes: total gray matter volume (GM), cortical thickness (CT), and white matter hyperintensities burden (WMH). Results Participants with higher PGI values performed better on cognitive tests (B = 0.627, SE = 0.196, p = 0.002) (age, sex, and principal components as covariates). Associations remained significant with inclusion of covariates for MRI measures of brain aging; B = 0.439, SE: 0.198, p = 0.028). PGI associations were stronger in young and middle-aged (age<65) as compared to older adults. For further validation, linear regression for Cog PGI and cognition in the fully adjusted model and adding the interaction between age group and Cog PGI, showed significant results (B = 0.892, SE: 0.325, p = 0.007) driven by young and middle-aged adults (B = -0.403, SE: 0.193, p = 0.039). In ancillary analysis, the Cognitive PGI was not associated with any of the brain measures. Conclusions Genetics discovered in GWAS of cognition are associated with cognitive performance in healthy adults across age, but most strongly in young and middle-aged adults. Associations were not explained by brain-structural markers of brain aging. Genetics uncovered in GWAS of cognitive performance may contribute to individual differences established relatively early in life and may not reflect genetic mechanisms of cognitive aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Tsapanou
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - N. Mourtzi
- 1st Department of Neurology, Aiginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
| | - Y. Gu
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - C. Habeck
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - D. Belsky
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, USA
- Robert N Butler Columbia Aging Center, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Y. Stern
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
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13
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Relationships between cognitive performance, clinical insight and regional brain volumes in schizophrenia. SCHIZOPHRENIA 2022; 8:33. [PMID: 35853892 PMCID: PMC9261092 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-022-00243-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Impairments in cognitive performance are common in schizophrenia, and these contribute to poor awareness of symptoms and treatment (‘clinical insight’), which is an important predictor of functional outcome. Although relationships between cognitive impairment and reductions in regional brain volumes in patients are relatively well characterised, less is known about the brain structural correlates of clinical insight. To address this gap, we aimed to explore brain structural correlates of cognitive performance and clinical insight in the same sample. 108 patients with schizophrenia (SZH) and 94 age and gender-matched controls (CON) (from the Northwestern University Schizophrenia Data and Software Tool (NUSDAST) database) were included. SZH had smaller grey matter volume across most fronto-temporal regions and significantly poorer performance on all cognitive domains. Multiple regression showed that higher positive symptoms and poorer attention were significant predictors of insight in SZH; however, no significant correlations were seen between clinical insight and regional brain volumes. In contrast, symptomology did not contribute to cognitive performance, but robust positive relationships were found between regional grey matter volumes in fronto-temporal regions and cognitive performance (particularly executive function). Many of these appeared to be unique to SZH as they were not observed in CON. Findings suggest that while there exists a tight link between cognitive functioning and neuropathological processes affecting gross brain anatomy in SZH, this is not the case for clinical insight. Instead, clinical insight levels seem to be influenced by symptomology, attentional performance and other subject-specific variables.
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14
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Grey matter volume and its association with cognitive impairment and peripheral cytokines in excited individuals with schizophrenia. Brain Imaging Behav 2022; 16:2618-2626. [DOI: 10.1007/s11682-022-00717-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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15
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Dhamala E, Ooi LQR, Chen J, Kong R, Anderson KM, Chin R, Yeo BTT, Holmes AJ. Proportional intracranial volume correction differentially biases behavioral predictions across neuroanatomical features, sexes, and development. Neuroimage 2022; 260:119485. [PMID: 35843514 PMCID: PMC9425854 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Individual differences in brain anatomy can be used to predict variations in cognitive ability. Most studies to date have focused on broad population-level trends, but the extent to which the observed predictive features are shared across sexes and age groups remains to be established. While it is standard practice to account for intracranial volume (ICV) using proportion correction in both regional and whole-brain morphometric analyses, in the context of brain-behavior predictions the possible differential impact of ICV correction on anatomical features and subgroups within the population has yet to be systematically investigated. In this work, we evaluate the effect of proportional ICV correction on sex-independent and sex-specific predictive models of individual cognitive abilities across multiple anatomical properties (surface area, gray matter volume, and cortical thickness) in healthy young adults (Human Connectome Project; n = 1013, 548 females) and typically developing children (Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study; n = 1823, 979 females). We demonstrate that ICV correction generally reduces predictive accuracies derived from surface area and gray matter volume, while increasing predictive accuracies based on cortical thickness in both adults and children. Furthermore, the extent to which predictive models generalize across sexes and age groups depends on ICV correction: models based on surface area and gray matter volume are more generalizable without ICV correction, while models based on cortical thickness are more generalizable with ICV correction. Finally, the observed neuroanatomical features predictive of cognitive abilities are unique across age groups regardless of ICV correction, but whether they are shared or unique across sexes (within age groups) depends on ICV correction. These findings highlight the importance of considering individual differences in ICV, and show that proportional ICV correction does not remove the effects of cranial volume from anatomical measurements and can introduce ICV bias where previously there was none. ICV correction choices affect not just the strength of the relationships captured, but also the conclusions drawn regarding the neuroanatomical features that underlie those relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elvisha Dhamala
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, United States; Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, United States.
| | - Leon Qi Rong Ooi
- Centre for Sleep & Cognition & Centre for Translational Magnetic Resonance Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore; N.1 Institute for Health & Institute for Digital Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme (ISEP), National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jianzhong Chen
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore; N.1 Institute for Health & Institute for Digital Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme (ISEP), National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ru Kong
- Centre for Sleep & Cognition & Centre for Translational Magnetic Resonance Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme (ISEP), National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kevin M Anderson
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, United States
| | - Rowena Chin
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, United States
| | - B T Thomas Yeo
- Centre for Sleep & Cognition & Centre for Translational Magnetic Resonance Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore; N.1 Institute for Health & Institute for Digital Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme (ISEP), National University of Singapore, Singapore; Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Avram J Holmes
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, United States; Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, United States; Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, United States.
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16
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Zhou H, Wang D, Cao B, Zhang X. Association of reduced cortical thickness and psychopathological symptoms in patients with first-episode drug-naïve schizophrenia. Int J Psychiatry Clin Pract 2022; 27:42-50. [PMID: 36193901 DOI: 10.1080/13651501.2022.2129067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE There is growing evidence that reduced cortical thickness has been considered to be a central abnormality in schizophrenia. Brain imaging studies have demonstrated that the cerebral cortex becomes thinner in patients with first-episode schizophrenia. This study aimed to examine whether cortical thickness is altered in drug-naïve schizophrenia in a Chinese Han population and the relationship between cortical thickness and clinical symptoms. METHODS We compared cortical thickness in 41 schizophrenia patients and 30 healthy controls. Psychopathology of patients with schizophrenia was assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). RESULTS The cortical thickness of left banks of superior temporal sulcus, left lateral occipital gyrus, left rostral middle frontal gyrus, right inferior parietal lobule and right lateral occipital gyrus in schizophrenia patients was generally thinner compared with healthy controls. Correlation analysis revealed a negative correlation between cortical thickness of the left banks of superior temporal sulcus and general psychopathology of PANSS. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that cortical thickness abnormalities are already present early in the onset of schizophrenia and are associated with psychopathological symptoms, suggesting that it plays an important role in the pathogenesis and symptomatology of schizophrenia.Key points(1) The first-episode drug-naïve schizophrenia had reduced cortical thickness than the controls.(2) Cortical thickness was associated with psychopathological symptoms in patients with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huixia Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Dongmei Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Bo Cao
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Xiangyang Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
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17
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Relationship of neurite architecture to brain activity during task-based fMRI. Neuroimage 2022; 262:119575. [PMID: 35987489 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional MRI (fMRI) has been widely used to examine changes in neuronal activity during cognitive tasks. Commonly used measures of gray matter macrostructure (e.g., cortical thickness, surface area, volume) do not consistently appear to serve as structural correlates of brain function. In contrast, gray matter microstructure, measured using neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI), enables the estimation of indices of neurite density (neurite density index; NDI) and organization (orientation dispersion index; ODI) in gray matter. Our study explored the relationship among neurite architecture, BOLD (blood-oxygen-level-dependent) fMRI, and cognition, using a large sample (n = 750) of young adults of the human connectome project (HCP) and two tasks that index more cortical (working memory) and more subcortical (emotion processing) targeting of brain functions. Using NODDI, fMRI, structural MRI and task performance data, hierarchical regression analyses revealed that higher working memory- and emotion processing-evoked BOLD activity was related to lower ODI in the right DLPFC, and lower ODI and NDI values in the right and left amygdala, respectively. Common measures of brain macrostructure (i.e., DLPFC thickness/surface area and amygdala volume) did not explain any additional variance (beyond neurite architecture) in BOLD activity. A moderating effect of neurite architecture on the relationship between emotion processing task-evoked BOLD response and performance was observed. Our findings provide evidence that neuro-/social-affective cognition-related BOLD activity is partially driven by the local neurite organization and density with direct impact on emotion processing. In vivo gray matter microstructure represents a new target of investigation providing strong potential for clinical translation.
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18
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Wei Q, Yan W, Zhang R, Yang X, Xie S. Aberrant cortical surface and cognition function in drug-naive first-episode schizophrenia. Ann Gen Psychiatry 2022; 21:4. [PMID: 35144626 PMCID: PMC8830089 DOI: 10.1186/s12991-022-00381-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Impaired cognitive function is a central symptom of schizophrenia and is often correlated with inferior global functional outcomes. However, the role of some neurobiological factors such as cortical structure alterations in the underlying cognitive damages in schizophrenia remains unclear. The present study attempted to explore the neurobiomarkers of cognitive function in drug-naive, first-episode schizophrenia by using structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS The present study was conducted in patients with drug-naive, first-episode schizophrenia (SZ) and healthy controls (HCs). MRI T1 images were pre-processed using CAT12. Surface-based morphometry (SBM) was utilised to evaluate structural parameters such as cortical thickness and sulcus depth. The positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) and Chinese version of the Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) consensus cognitive battery (MCCB) were employed to estimate the psychotic symptoms and cognition, respectively. RESULTS A total of 117 patients with drug-naive first-episode schizophrenia (SZ) and 98 healthy controls (HCs) were included. Both the cortical thickness and sulcus depth in the frontal lobe were lower in patients with SZ than in the HCs under family-wise error correction (p < 0.05). Attention and visual learning in MCCB were positively correlated with the right lateral orbitofrontal cortical thickness in the patients with SZ (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS The reduced surface value of multiple cortical structures, particularly the cortical thickness and sulcus depth in the frontal lobe, could be the potential biomarkers for cognitive impairment in SZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianqian Wei
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Wei Yan
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Rongrong Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Xuna Yang
- Medical Department, Suzhou Guangji Hospital, Suzhou, 215008, China.
| | - Shiping Xie
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China.
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19
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Huang Z, Ruan D, Huang B, Zhou T, Shi C, Yu X, Chan RCK, Wang Y, Pu C. Negative symptoms correlate with altered brain structural asymmetry in amygdala and superior temporal region in schizophrenia patients. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:1000560. [PMID: 36226098 PMCID: PMC9548644 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1000560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Negative symptoms play an important role in development and treatment of schizophrenia. However, brain changes relevant to negative symptoms are still unclear. This study examined brain structural abnormalities and their asymmetry in schizophrenia patients and the association with negative symptoms. Fifty-nine schizophrenia patients and 66 healthy controls undertook structural brain scans. Schizophrenia patients were further divided into predominant negative symptoms (PNS, n = 18) and non-PNS (n = 34) subgroups. Negative symptoms were assessed by the Negative Symptom Assessment (NSA). T1-weighted images were preprocessed with FreeSurfer to estimate subcortical volumes, cortical thickness and surface areas, asymmetry Index (AI) was then calculated. MANOVA was performed for group differences while partial correlations in patients were analyzed between altered brain structures and negative symptoms. Compared to healthy controls, schizophrenia patients exhibited thinner cortices in frontal and temporal regions, and decreased leftward asymmetry of superior temporal gyrus (STG) in cortical thickness. Patients with PNS exhibited increased rightward asymmetry of amygdala volumes than non-PNS subgroup. In patients, AI of cortical thickness in the STG was negatively correlated with NSA-Emotion scores (r = -0.30, p = 0.035), while AI of amygdala volume was negatively correlated with NSA-Communication (r = -0.30, p = 0.039) and NSA-Total scores (r = -0.30, p = 0.038). Our findings suggested schizophrenia patients exhibited cortical thinning and altered lateralization of brain structures. Emotion and communication dimensions of negative symptoms also correlated with the structural asymmetry of amygdala and superior temporal regions in schizophrenia patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zetao Huang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Dun Ruan
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bingjie Huang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Tianhang Zhou
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Chuan Shi
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Xin Yu
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Raymond C K Chan
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chengcheng Pu
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
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20
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Veselinović T, Neuner I. Progress and Pitfalls in Developing Agents to Treat Neurocognitive Deficits Associated with Schizophrenia. CNS Drugs 2022; 36:819-858. [PMID: 35831706 PMCID: PMC9345797 DOI: 10.1007/s40263-022-00935-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive impairments associated with schizophrenia (CIAS) represent a central element of the symptomatology of this severe mental disorder. CIAS substantially determine the disease prognosis and hardly, if at all, respond to treatment with currently available antipsychotics. Remarkably, all drugs presently approved for the treatment of schizophrenia are, to varying degrees, dopamine D2/D3 receptor blockers. In turn, rapidly growing evidence suggests the immense significance of systems other than the dopaminergic system in the genesis of CIAS. Accordingly, current efforts addressing the unmet needs of patients with schizophrenia are primarily based on interventions in other non-dopaminergic systems. In this review article, we provide a brief overview of the available evidence on the importance of specific systems in the development of CIAS. In addition, we describe the promising targets for the development of new drugs that have been used so far. In doing so, we present the most important candidates that have been investigated in the field of the specific systems in recent years and present a summary of the results available at the time of drafting this review (May 2022), as well as the currently ongoing studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanja Veselinović
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 4, INM-4, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
| | - Irene Neuner
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 4, INM-4, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- JARA-BRAIN, Aachen, Germany
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21
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Cobia D, Rich C, Smith MJ, Engel Gonzalez P, Cronenwett W, Csernansky JG, Wang L. Thalamic Shape Abnormalities Differentially Relate to Cognitive Performance in Early-Onset and Adult-Onset Schizophrenia. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:803234. [PMID: 35479490 PMCID: PMC9035552 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.803234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) shares many biological and clinical features with adult-onset schizophrenia (AOS), but may represent a unique subgroup with greater susceptibility for disease onset and worsened symptomatology and progression, which could potentially derive from exaggerated neurodevelopmental abnormalities. Neurobiological explanations of schizophrenia have emphasized the involvement of deep-brain structures, particularly alterations of the thalamus, which have been linked to core features of the disorder. The aim of this study was to compare thalamic shape abnormalities between EOS and AOS subjects and determine whether unique behavioral profiles related to these differences. It was hypothesized abnormal thalamic shape would be observed in anterior, mediodorsal and pulvinar regions in both schizophrenia groups relative to control subjects, but exacerbated in EOS. Magnetic resonance T1-weighted images were collected from adult individuals with EOS (n = 28), AOS (n = 33), and healthy control subjects (n = 60), as well as collection of clinical and cognitive measures. Large deformation high-dimensional brain mapping was used to obtain three-dimensional surfaces of the thalamus. General linear models were used to compare groups on surface shape features, and Pearson correlations were used to examine relationships between thalamic shape and behavioral measures. Results revealed both EOS and AOS groups demonstrated significant abnormal shape of anterior, lateral and pulvinar thalamic regions relative to CON (all p < 0.007). Relative to AOS, EOS exhibited exacerbated abnormalities in posterior lateral, mediodorsal and lateral geniculate thalamic regions (p = 0.003). Thalamic abnormalities related to worse episodic memory in EOS (p = 0.03) and worse working memory (p = 0.047) and executive functioning (p = 0003) in AOS. Overall, findings suggest thalamic abnormalities are a prominent feature in both early- and late-onset schizophrenia, but exaggerated in EOS and have different brain-behavior profiles for each. The persistence of these abnormalities in adult EOS patients suggests they may represent markers of disrupted neurodevelopment that uniquely relate to the clinical and cognitive aspects of the illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derin Cobia
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Chaz Rich
- Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
| | - Matthew J Smith
- School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Pedro Engel Gonzalez
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Will Cronenwett
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - John G Csernansky
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States
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22
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Hua JPY, Mathalon DH. Cortical and Subcortical Structural Morphometric Profiles in Individuals with Nonaffective and Affective Early Illness Psychosis. SCHIZOPHRENIA BULLETIN OPEN 2022; 3:sgac028. [PMID: 39144757 PMCID: PMC11206002 DOI: 10.1093/schizbullopen/sgac028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/16/2024]
Abstract
Research has found strong evidence for common and distinct morphometric brain abnormality profiles in nonaffective psychosis (NAff-P) and affective psychosis (Aff-P). Due to chronicity and prolonged medication exposure confounds, it is crucial to examine structural morphometry early in the course of psychosis. Using Human Connectome Project-Early Psychosis data, multivariate profile analyses were implemented to examine regional profiles for cortical thickness, cortical surface area, subcortical volume, and ventricular volume in healthy control (HC; n = 56), early illness NAff-P (n = 83), and Aff-P (n = 30) groups after accounting for normal aging. Associations with symptom severity, functioning, and cognition were also examined. Group regional profiles were significantly nonparallel and differed in level for cortical thickness (P < .001), with NAff-P having widespread cortical thinning relative to HC and Aff-P and some regions showing greater deficits than others. Significant nonparallelism of group regional profiles was also evident for cortical surface area (P < .006), with Aff-P and N-Aff-P differing from HC and from each other (P < .001). For subcortical volume, there was significant profile nonparallelism with NAff-P having an enlarged left pallidum and smaller accumbens and hippocampus (P < .028), and Aff-P having a smaller accumbens and amygdala (P < .006), relative to HC. NAff-P also had larger basal ganglia compared to Aff-P. Furthermore, NAff-P had enlarged ventricles (P < .055) compared to HC and Aff-P. Additionally, greater ventricular volume was associated with increased manic symptoms in NAff-P and Aff-P. Overall, this study found common and distinct regional morphometric profile abnormalities in early illness NAff-P and Aff-P, providing evidence for both shared and disease-specific pathophysiological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica P Y Hua
- Sierra Pacific Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Centers, San Francisco VA Medical Center, and the University of California, San Francisco, CA,USA
- Mental Health Service, San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Daniel H Mathalon
- Mental Health Service, San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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23
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Qi Y, Wei Y, Yu F, Lin Q, Yin J, Fu J, Xiong S, Lv D, Dai Z, Peng Q, Wang Y, Zhang D, Wang L, Ye X, Lin Z, Lin J, Ma G, Li K, Luo X. Association study of a genetic variant in the long intergenic noncoding RNA (linc01080) with schizophrenia in Han Chinese. BMC Psychiatry 2021; 21:613. [PMID: 34879837 PMCID: PMC8653569 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-021-03623-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schizophrenia is currently considered to be a polygene-related disease with unknown etiology. This research will verify whether the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the long intergenic noncoding RNA01080 (linc01080) contributes to the susceptibility and phenotypic heterogeneity of schizophrenia, with a view to providing data support for the prevention and individualized treatment of this disease. METHOD The SNP rs7990916 in linc01080 were genotyped in 1139 schizophrenic and 1039 controls in a Southern Chinese Han population by the improved multiplex ligation detection reaction (imLDR) technique. Meanwhile, we assessed and analyzed the association between this SNP and schizophrenics' clinical symptoms, and the cognitive function. RESULT There was no significant difference in genotype distribution, allele frequency distribution, gender stratification analysis between the two groups. However, the SNP of rs7990916 was significantly associated with the age of onset in patients with schizophrenia (P = 8.22E-07), patients with T allele had earlier onset age compared with CC genotype carriers. In terms of cognitive function, patients with T allele scored lower than CC genotype carriers in the Tower of London score and symbol coding score in the Brief assessment of Cognition (BACS), and the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.014, P = 0.022, respectively). CONCLUSION Our data show for the first time that linc01080 polymorphism may affect the age of onset and neurocognitive function in patients with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Qi
- grid.410560.60000 0004 1760 3078The Marine Biomedical Research Institute, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524023 China
| | - Yaxue Wei
- grid.410560.60000 0004 1760 3078Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524001 China ,grid.410652.40000 0004 6003 7358Psychiatric and Psychological Clinical Rehabilitation Center, The People’s Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, 530021 China
| | - Fengyan Yu
- grid.410560.60000 0004 1760 3078The Second Clinical School, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523808 China
| | - Qianxing Lin
- grid.410560.60000 0004 1760 3078The Marine Biomedical Research Institute, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524023 China
| | - Jingwen Yin
- grid.410560.60000 0004 1760 3078Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524001 China
| | - Jiawu Fu
- grid.410560.60000 0004 1760 3078Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524001 China
| | - Susu Xiong
- grid.410560.60000 0004 1760 3078Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524001 China
| | - Dong Lv
- grid.410560.60000 0004 1760 3078Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524001 China
| | - Zhun Dai
- grid.410560.60000 0004 1760 3078Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524001 China
| | - Qian Peng
- grid.410560.60000 0004 1760 3078Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524001 China
| | - Ying Wang
- grid.410560.60000 0004 1760 3078Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524001 China
| | - Dandan Zhang
- grid.410560.60000 0004 1760 3078Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524001 China
| | - Lulu Wang
- grid.410560.60000 0004 1760 3078Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524001 China
| | - Xiaoqing Ye
- grid.410560.60000 0004 1760 3078Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524001 China
| | - Zhixiong Lin
- grid.410560.60000 0004 1760 3078Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524001 China
| | - Juda Lin
- grid.410560.60000 0004 1760 3078Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524001 China
| | - Guoda Ma
- grid.410560.60000 0004 1760 3078Maternal and Children’s Health Research Institute, Shunde Maternal and Children’s Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Foshan, 528300 China
| | - Keshen Li
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, China. .,Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, China.
| | - Xudong Luo
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524001, China.
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24
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Karantonis JA, Carruthers SP, Rossell SL, Pantelis C, Hughes M, Wannan C, Cropley V, Van Rheenen TE. A Systematic Review of Cognition-Brain Morphology Relationships on the Schizophrenia-Bipolar Disorder Spectrum. Schizophr Bull 2021; 47:1557-1600. [PMID: 34097043 PMCID: PMC8530395 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbab054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The nature of the relationship between cognition and brain morphology in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (SSD) and bipolar disorder (BD) is uncertain. This review aimed to address this, by providing a comprehensive systematic investigation of links between several cognitive domains and brain volume, cortical thickness, and cortical surface area in SSD and BD patients across early and established illness stages. An initial search of PubMed and Scopus databases resulted in 1486 articles, of which 124 met inclusion criteria and were reviewed in detail. The majority of studies focused on SSD, while those of BD were scarce. Replicated evidence for specific regions associated with indices of cognition was minimal, however for several cognitive domains, the frontal and temporal regions were broadly implicated across both recent-onset and established SSD, and to a lesser extent BD. Collectively, the findings of this review emphasize the significance of both frontal and temporal regions for some domains of cognition in SSD, while highlighting the need for future BD-related studies on this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A Karantonis
- Centre for Mental Health, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sean P Carruthers
- Centre for Mental Health, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Susan L Rossell
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia
- St Vincent’s Mental Health, St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Christos Pantelis
- Centre for Mental Health, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Australia
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Matthew Hughes
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Cassandra Wannan
- Centre for Mental Health, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Vanessa Cropley
- Centre for Mental Health, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Tamsyn E Van Rheenen
- Centre for Mental Health, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia
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25
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Fronto-Parietal Gray Matter Volume Loss Is Associated with Decreased Working Memory Performance in Adolescents with a First Episode of Psychosis. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10173929. [PMID: 34501377 PMCID: PMC8432087 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10173929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive maturation during adolescence is modulated by brain maturation. However, it is unknown how these processes intertwine in early onset psychosis (EOP). Studies examining longitudinal brain changes and cognitive performance in psychosis lend support for an altered development of high-order cognitive functions, which parallels progressive gray matter (GM) loss over time, particularly in fronto-parietal brain regions. We aimed to assess this relationship in a subsample of 33 adolescents with first-episode EOP and 47 matched controls over 2 years. Backwards stepwise regression analyses were conducted to determine the association and predictive value of longitudinal brain changes over cognitive performance within each group. Fronto-parietal GM volume loss was positively associated with decreased working memory in adolescents with psychosis (frontal left (B = 0.096, p = 0.008); right (B = 0.089, p = 0.015); parietal left (B = 0.119, p = 0.007), right (B = 0.125, p = 0.015)) as a function of age. A particular decrease in frontal left GM volume best predicted a significant amount (22.28%) of the variance of decreased working memory performance over time, accounting for variance in age (14.9%). No such association was found in controls. Our results suggest that during adolescence, EOP individuals seem to follow an abnormal neurodevelopmental trajectory, in which fronto-parietal GM volume reduction is associated with the differential age-related working memory dysfunction in this group.
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26
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Zhou Y, Huang J, Zhang P, Tong J, Fan F, Gou M, Cui Y, Luo X, Tan S, Wang Z, Feng W, Yang F, Tian B, Tian L, Savransky A, Hare S, Ryan MC, Goldwaser E, Chiappelli J, Chen S, Kochunov P, Kvarta M, Tan Y, Hong LE. Allostatic Load Effects on Cortical and Cognitive Deficits in Essentially Normotensive, Normoweight Patients with Schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull 2021; 47:1048-1057. [PMID: 33501486 PMCID: PMC8266595 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbaa196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Reduced cortical gray matter integrity and cognitive abilities are among core deficits in schizophrenia. We hypothesized that higher allostatic load (AL) that accounts for exposure to chronic stress is a contributor to structural and cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. One hundred and sixty-seven schizophrenia patients who were on average with normal weight, normal systolic, and diastolic blood pressure and 72 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Group differences in subclinical cardiovascular, metabolic, immune, and neuroendocrine biological markers as indexed by AL and contribution of AL components to the structural and cognitive deficits in schizophrenia were explored. Compared with controls, schizophrenia patients who were normotensive, normoweight, and had low total cholesterol levels still had significantly higher AL mainly due to lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and higher heart rate, waist-hip ratio, hemoglobinA1c, hypersensitive C-reactive protein, and overnight-urine cortisol levels. Patients also had decreased whole-brain mean cortical thickness, and lower cognition assessed by the MATRICS consensus cognitive battery. AL was inversely correlated with mean cortical thickness and cognition in schizophrenia, while none of these relationships existed in controls. Mediation analyses showed the effect of AL on cognitive deficits in schizophrenia was significantly mediated by cortical thinning, and the most significant mediating cortical area was the left superior frontal gyrus. Cortical thickness may act as a mediator between AL and cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. Early intervention strategies to reduce cortical thinning and cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia should target specific aspects of their high AL in addition to weight gain, hypertension and high cholesterol levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanfang Zhou
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Junchao Huang
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Ping Zhang
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Jinghui Tong
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Fengmei Fan
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Mengzhuang Gou
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Yimin Cui
- Department of Pharmacy, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Xingguang Luo
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Shuping Tan
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Zhiren Wang
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Wei Feng
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Fude Yang
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Baopeng Tian
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Li Tian
- Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Anya Savransky
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Stephanie Hare
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Meghann C Ryan
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Eric Goldwaser
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Joshua Chiappelli
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Shuo Chen
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Peter Kochunov
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Mark Kvarta
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Yunlong Tan
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - L Elliot Hong
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
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27
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Ramsay IS, Fryer S, Roach BJ, Boos A, Fisher M, Loewy R, Ford JM, Vinogradov S, Mathalon DH. Response to targeted cognitive training may be neuroprotective in patients with early schizophrenia. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2021; 312:111285. [PMID: 33865147 PMCID: PMC8137670 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2021.111285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Individuals with schizophrenia exhibit widespread cortical thinning associated with illness severity and deficits in cognition. However, intact cortical thickness (CTh) may serve as a protective factor. The current study sought to examine changes in CTh in response to auditory targeted cognitive training (TCT) in individuals with recent onset schizophrenia. Participants underwent MRI scanning and a cognitive assessment before and after being randomly assigned to 40 h of either TCT (N = 21) or a computer games control condition (CG; N = 22) over 16 weeks. Groups did not differ at baseline on demographic variables or measures of CTh. At the level of group averages, neither group showed significant pre-post changes in CTh in any brain region. However, changes in CTh related to individual differences in treatment outcome, as improved global cognition in the TCT group corresponded to reduced cortical thinning in frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes. These relationships were not observed in the CG group. The current findings suggest that TCT may be neuroprotective in early schizophrenia, such that individuals who improved in response to training also showed a reduction in cortical thinning that may be otherwise hastened due to age and illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian S Ramsay
- University of Minnesota, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, USA.
| | - Susanna Fryer
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, USA; San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, USA
| | - Brian J Roach
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, USA; San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, USA
| | - Alison Boos
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, USA; San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, USA
| | - Melissa Fisher
- University of Minnesota, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, USA
| | - Rachel Loewy
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, USA; San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, USA
| | - Judith M Ford
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, USA; San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, USA
| | - Sophia Vinogradov
- University of Minnesota, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, USA
| | - Daniel H Mathalon
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, USA; San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, USA
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28
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Norbom LB, Ferschmann L, Parker N, Agartz I, Andreassen OA, Paus T, Westlye LT, Tamnes CK. New insights into the dynamic development of the cerebral cortex in childhood and adolescence: Integrating macro- and microstructural MRI findings. Prog Neurobiol 2021; 204:102109. [PMID: 34147583 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2021.102109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Through dynamic transactional processes between genetic and environmental factors, childhood and adolescence involve reorganization and optimization of the cerebral cortex. The cortex and its development plays a crucial role for prototypical human cognitive abilities. At the same time, many common mental disorders appear during these critical phases of neurodevelopment. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can indirectly capture several multifaceted changes of cortical macro- and microstructure, of high relevance to further our understanding of the neural foundation of cognition and mental health. Great progress has been made recently in mapping the typical development of cortical morphology. Moreover, newer less explored MRI signal intensity and specialized quantitative T2 measures have been applied to assess microstructural cortical development. We review recent findings of typical postnatal macro- and microstructural development of the cerebral cortex from early childhood to young adulthood. We cover studies of cortical volume, thickness, area, gyrification, T1-weighted (T1w) tissue contrasts such a grey/white matter contrast, T1w/T2w ratio, magnetization transfer and myelin water fraction. Finally, we integrate imaging studies with cortical gene expression findings to further our understanding of the underlying neurobiology of the developmental changes, bridging the gap between ex vivo histological- and in vivo MRI studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linn B Norbom
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway; PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Lia Ferschmann
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Nadine Parker
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ingrid Agartz
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway; K.G Jebsen Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- K.G Jebsen Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Norway; NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Tomáš Paus
- ECOGENE-21, Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada; Department of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine, University of Montreal, Canada
| | - Lars T Westlye
- K.G Jebsen Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Norway; NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Christian K Tamnes
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway; PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
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Increased peripheral inflammation in schizophrenia is associated with worse cognitive performance and related cortical thickness reductions. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2021; 271:595-607. [PMID: 33760971 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-021-01237-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
While the biological substrates of brain and behavioural changes in persons with schizophrenia remain unclear, increasing evidence implicates that inflammation is involved. In schizophrenia, including first-episode psychosis and anti-psychotic naïve patients, there are numerous reports of increased peripheral inflammation, cognitive deficits and neuropathologies such as cortical thinning. Research defining the relationship between inflammation and schizophrenia symptomatology and neuropathology is needed. Therefore, we analysed the level of C-reactive protein (CRP), a peripheral inflammation marker, and its relationship with cognitive functioning in a cohort of 644 controls and 499 schizophrenia patients. In a subset of individuals who underwent MRI scanning (99 controls and 194 schizophrenia cases), we tested if serum CRP was associated with cortical thickness. CRP was significantly increased in schizophrenia patients compared to controls, co-varying for age, sex, overweight/obesity and diabetes (p < 0.006E-10). In schizophrenia, increased CRP was mildly associated with worse performance in attention, controlling for age, sex and education (R =- 0.15, p = 0.001). Further, increased CRP was associated with reduced cortical thickness in three regions related to attention: the caudal middle frontal, the pars opercularis and the posterior cingulate cortices, which remained significant after controlling for multiple comparisons (all p < 0.05). Together, these findings indicate that increased peripheral inflammation is associated with deficits in cognitive function and brain structure in schizophrenia, especially reduced attention and reduced cortical thickness in associated brain regions. Using CRP as a biomarker of peripheral inflammation in persons with schizophrenia may help to identify vulnerable patients and those that may benefit from adjunctive anti-inflammatory treatments.
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Wang C, Oughourlian T, Tishler TA, Anwar F, Raymond C, Pham AD, Perschon A, Villablanca JP, Ventura J, Subotnik KL, Nuechterlein KH, Ellingson BM. Cortical morphometric correlational networks associated with cognitive deficits in first episode schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2021; 231:179-188. [PMID: 33872855 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2021.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a chronic cognitive and behavioral disorder associated with abnormal cortical activity during information processing. Several brain structures associated with the seven performance domains evaluated using the MATRICS (Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia) Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) have shown cortical volume loss in first episode schizophrenia (FES) patients. However, the relationship between morphological organization and MCCB performance remains unclear. Therefore, in the current observational study, high-resolution structural MRI scans were collected from 50 FES patients, and the morphometric correlation network (MCN) using cortical volume was established to characterize the cortical pattern associated with poorer MCCB performance. We also investigated topological properties, such as the modularity, the degree and the betweenness centrality. Our findings show structural volume was directly and strongly associated with the cognitive deficits of FES patients in the precuneus, anterior cingulate, and fusiform gyrus, as well as the prefrontal, parietal, and sensorimotor cortices. The medial orbitofrontal, fusiform, and superior frontal gyri were not only identified as the predominant nodes with high degree and betweenness centrality in the MCN, but they were also found to be critical in performance in several of the MCCB domains. Together, these results suggest a widespread cortical network is altered in FES patients and that performance on the MCCB domains is associated with the core pathophysiology of SCZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chencai Wang
- Dept. of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Talia Oughourlian
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Todd A Tishler
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Faizan Anwar
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Catalina Raymond
- Dept. of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Alex D Pham
- Dept. of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Abby Perschon
- Dept. of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - J Pablo Villablanca
- Dept. of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Joseph Ventura
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Kenneth L Subotnik
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Keith H Nuechterlein
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America; Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Benjamin M Ellingson
- Dept. of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America; Dept. of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America; Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Graduate Program, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America.
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31
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Alkan E, Davies G, Evans SL. Cognitive impairment in schizophrenia: relationships with cortical thickness in fronto-temporal regions, and dissociability from symptom severity. NPJ SCHIZOPHRENIA 2021; 7:20. [PMID: 33737508 PMCID: PMC7973472 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-021-00149-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive impairments are a core and persistent characteristic of schizophrenia with implications for daily functioning. These show only limited response to antipsychotic treatment and their neural basis is not well characterised. Previous studies point to relationships between cortical thickness and cognitive performance in fronto-temporal brain regions in schizophrenia patients (SZH). There is also evidence that these relationships might be independent of symptom severity, suggesting dissociable disease processes. We set out to explore these possibilities in a sample of 70 SZH and 72 age and gender-matched healthy controls (provided by the Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE)). Cortical thickness within fronto-temporal regions implicated by previous work was considered in relation to performance across various cognitive domains (from the MATRICS Cognitive Battery). Compared to controls, SZH had thinner cortices across most fronto-temporal regions and significantly lower performance on all cognitive domains. Robust relationships with cortical thickness were found: visual learning and attention performance correlated with bilateral superior and middle frontal thickness in SZH only. Correlations between attention performance and right transverse temporal thickness were also specific to SZH. Findings point to the importance of these regions for cognitive performance in SZH, possibly reflecting compensatory processes and/or aberrant connectivity. No links to symptom severity were observed in these regions, suggesting these relationships are dissociable from underlying psychotic symptomology. Findings enhance understanding of the brain structural underpinnings and possible aetiology of cognitive impairment in SZH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erkan Alkan
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, UK
| | - Geoff Davies
- Brighton & Sussex Medical School/Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Sussex, UK
| | - Simon L Evans
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, UK.
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32
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Karpouzian-Rogers T, Cobia D, Petersen J, Wang L, Mittal VA, Csernansky JG, Smith MJ. Cognitive Empathy and Longitudinal Changes in Temporo-Parietal Junction Thickness in Schizophrenia. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:667656. [PMID: 34054621 PMCID: PMC8160364 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.667656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective: Deficits in cognitive empathy are well-documented in individuals with schizophrenia and are related to reduced community functioning. The temporoparietal junction (TPJ) is closely linked to cognitive empathy. We compared the relationship between baseline cognitive empathy and changes in TPJ thickness over 24 months between individuals with schizophrenia and healthy controls. Methods: Individuals with schizophrenia (n = 29) and healthy controls (n = 26) completed a cognitive empathy task and underwent structural neuroimaging at baseline and approximately 24 months later. Symmetrized percent change scores were calculated for right and left TPJ, as well as whole-brain volume, and compared between groups. Task accuracy was examined as a predictor of percent change in TPJ thickness and whole-brain volume in each group. Results: Individuals with schizophrenia demonstrated poorer accuracy on the cognitive empathy task (p < 0.001) and thinner TPJ cortex relative to controls at both time points (p = 0.01). In schizophrenia, greater task accuracy was uniquely related to less thinning of the TPJ over time (p = 0.02); task accuracy did not explain changes in left TPJ or whole-brain volume. Among controls, task accuracy did not explain changes in right or left TPJ, or whole-brain volume. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that greater cognitive empathy may explain sustained integrity of the right TPJ in individuals with schizophrenia, suggesting a contributory substrate for the long-term maintenance of this process in psychosis. Cognitive empathy was not related to changes in whole-brain volume, demonstrating the unique role of the TPJ in cognitive empathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Karpouzian-Rogers
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.,Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Derin Cobia
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - Julie Petersen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Vijay A Mittal
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - John G Csernansky
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Matthew J Smith
- School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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33
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Voineskos AN, Blumberger DM, Schifani C, Hawco C, Dickie EW, Rajji TK, Mulsant BH, Foussias G, Wang W, Daskalakis ZJ. Effects of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Working Memory Performance and Brain Structure in People With Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Sham-Controlled Trial. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2020; 6:449-458. [PMID: 33551284 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2020.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are currently no approved treatments for working memory deficits in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs). The objective of the present study was to assess whether repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in people with SSDs 1) improves working memory deficits and 2) changes brain structure. METHODS We conducted a double-blind, parallel, randomized, sham-controlled study at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, Canada. We randomized 83 participants with SSDs to receive either active 20 Hz rTMS applied to the bilateral DLPFC or sham rTMS for 4 weeks. The participants also completed pre/posttreatment magnetic resonance imaging. Clinical and cognitive assessments were performed at baseline, treatment end, and 1 month later. The primary outcome was change in verbal n-back working memory performance accuracy (d-prime). The secondary outcome measures were change in DLPFC thickness and fractional anisotropy of white matter tracts connecting to the DLPFC. Prespecified exploratory outcome measures were changes in general cognition; positive, negative, and depressive symptoms. RESULTS Compared with sham treatment, active rTMS did not lead to significant change in working memory performance; it was associated with an increase in right DLPFC thickness but not fractional anisotropy. Prespecified exploratory analysis showed a significant decrease in depressive symptoms in the active group; the decrease in depressive symptoms was correlated with an increase in right DLPFC thickness. CONCLUSIONS Although rTMS applied to the bilateral DLPFC was not efficacious in treating working memory deficits in SSDs, it did increase right DLPFC thickness and decrease depressive symptoms. These findings deserve further study given the lack of efficacy of antidepressant medications in SSDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aristotle N Voineskos
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Daniel M Blumberger
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christin Schifani
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Colin Hawco
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Erin W Dickie
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tarek K Rajji
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Benoit H Mulsant
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - George Foussias
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Wei Wang
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Zafiris J Daskalakis
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California
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34
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Curtis MT, Coffman BA, Salisbury DF. Parahippocampal area three gray matter is reduced in first-episode schizophrenia spectrum: Discovery and replication samples. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 42:724-736. [PMID: 33219733 PMCID: PMC7814759 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Early course schizophrenia is associated with reduced gray matter. The specific structures affected first and how deficits impact symptoms and cognition remain unresolved. We used the Human Connectome Project multimodal parcellation (HCP‐MMP) to precisely identify cortical areas and investigate thickness abnormalities in discovery and replication samples of first‐episode schizophrenia spectrum individuals (FESz). In the discovery sample, T1w scans were acquired from 31 FESz and 31 matched healthy controls (HC). Thickness was calculated for 360 regions in Freesurfer. In the replication sample, high‐resolution T1w, T2w, and BOLD‐rest scans were acquired from 23 FESz and 32 HC and processed with HCP protocols. Thickness was calculated for regions significant in the discovery sample. After FDR correction (q < .05), left and right parahippocampal area 3 (PHA3) were significantly thinner in FESz. In the replication sample, bilateral PHA3 were again thinner in FESz (q < .05). Exploratory correlation analyses revealed left PHA3 was positively associated with hallucinations and right PHA3 was positively associated with processing speed, working memory, and verbal learning. The novel use of the HCP‐MMP in two independent FESz samples revealed thinner bilateral PHA3, suggesting this byway between cortical and limbic processing is a critical site of pathology near the emergence of psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark T Curtis
- Clinical Neurophysiology Research Laboratory, Western Psychiatric Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Brian A Coffman
- Clinical Neurophysiology Research Laboratory, Western Psychiatric Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Dean F Salisbury
- Clinical Neurophysiology Research Laboratory, Western Psychiatric Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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35
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Spreng RN, DuPre E, Ji JL, Yang G, Diehl C, Murray JD, Pearlson GD, Anticevic A. Structural Covariance Reveals Alterations in Control and Salience Network Integrity in Chronic Schizophrenia. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:5269-5284. [PMID: 31066899 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2015] [Revised: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SCZ) is recognized as a disorder of distributed brain dysconnectivity. While progress has been made delineating large-scale functional networks in SCZ, little is known about alterations in grey matter integrity of these networks. We used a multivariate approach to identify the structural covariance of the salience, default, motor, visual, fronto-parietal control, and dorsal attention networks. We derived individual scores reflecting covariance in each structural image for a given network. Seed-based multivariate analyses were conducted on structural images in a discovery (n = 90) and replication (n = 74) sample of SCZ patients and healthy controls. We first validated patterns across all networks, consistent with well-established functional connectivity reports. Next, across two SCZ samples, we found reliable and robust reductions in structural integrity of the fronto-parietal control and salience networks, but not default, dorsal attention, motor and sensory networks. Well-powered exploratory analyses failed to identify relationships with symptoms. These findings provide evidence of selective structural decline in associative networks in SCZ. Such decline may be linked with recently identified functional disturbances in associative networks, providing more sensitive multi-modal network-level probes in SCZ. Absence of symptom effects suggests that identified disturbances may underlie a trait-type marker in SCZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Nathan Spreng
- Montreal Neurological Institute, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Elizabeth DuPre
- Montreal Neurological Institute, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jie Lisa Ji
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Genevieve Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Caroline Diehl
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - John D Murray
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Godfrey D Pearlson
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Psychology, Yale University, CT, USA.,Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alan Anticevic
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Psychology, Yale University, CT, USA.,Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, Institute of Living, Hartford Hospital, CT, USA
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36
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Brain structural correlates of functional capacity in first-episode psychosis. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17229. [PMID: 33056996 PMCID: PMC7560620 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73553-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Impaired functional capacity is a core feature of schizophrenia and presents even in first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients. Impairments in daily functioning tend to persist despite antipsychotic therapy but their neural basis is less clear. Previous studies suggest that volume loss in frontal cortex might be an important contributor, but findings are inconsistent. We aimed to comprehensively investigate the brain structural correlates of functional capacity in FEP using MRI and a reliable objective measure of functioning [University of California, San Diego Performance-Based Skills Assessment (UPSA)]. In a sample of FEP (n = 39) and a well-matched control group (n = 21), we measured cortical thickness, gray matter volume, and white matter tract integrity (fractional anisotropy, FA) within brain regions implicated by previous work. The FEP group had thinner cortex in various frontal regions and fusiform, and reduced FA in inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF). In FEP, poorer functional capacity correlated with reduced superior frontal volume and lower FA in left ILF. Importantly, frontal brain volumes and integrity of the ILF were identified as the structural correlates of functional capacity in FEP, controlling for other relevant factors. These findings enhance mechanistic understanding of functional capacity deficits in schizophrenia by specifying the underlying neural correlates. In future, this could help inform intervention strategies.
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37
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Tronchin G, Akudjedu TN, Kenney JP, McInerney S, Scanlon C, McFarland J, McCarthy P, Cannon DM, Hallahan B, McDonald C. Cognitive and Clinical Predictors of Prefrontal Cortical Thickness Change Following First-Episode of Psychosis. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2020; 302:111100. [PMID: 32464535 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2020.111100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2019] [Revised: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The association of neuroanatomical progression with cognitive and clinical deterioration after first-episode of psychosis remains uncertain. This longitudinal study aims to assess whether i)impaired executive functioning and emotional intelligence at first presentation are associated with progressive prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortical thinning ii)negative symptom severity is linked to progressive prefrontal cortical thinning. 1.5T MRI images were acquired at baseline and after 3.5 years for 20 individuals with first-episode psychosis and 18 controls. The longitudinal pipeline of Freesurfer was employed to parcellate prefrontal cortex at two time points. Baseline cognitive performance was compared between diagnostic groups using MANCOVA. Partial correlations investigated relationships between cognition and negative symptoms at baseline and cortical thickness change over time. Patients displayed poorer performance than controls at baseline in working memory, reasoning/problem solving and emotional intelligence. In patients, loss of prefrontal and orbitofrontal thickness over time was predicted by impaired working memory and emotional intelligence respectively at baseline. Moreover, exploratory analyses revealed that the worsening of negative symptoms over time was significantly related to prefrontal cortical thinning. Results indicate that specific cognitive deficits at the onset of psychotic illness are markers of progressive neuroanatomical deficits and that worsening of negative symptoms occurs with prefrontal thickness reduction as the illness progresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Tronchin
- Centre for Neuroimaging & Cognitive Genomics (NICOG), Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, NCBES Galway Neuroscience Centre, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, H91TK33 Galway, Ireland.
| | - Theophilus N Akudjedu
- Faculty of Health & Social Science, Institute of Medical Imaging & Visualisation, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, United Kingdom
| | - Joanne Pm Kenney
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience and School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Shane McInerney
- Centre for Neuroimaging & Cognitive Genomics (NICOG), Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, NCBES Galway Neuroscience Centre, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, H91TK33 Galway, Ireland
| | - Cathy Scanlon
- Centre for Neuroimaging & Cognitive Genomics (NICOG), Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, NCBES Galway Neuroscience Centre, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, H91TK33 Galway, Ireland
| | - John McFarland
- Centre for Neuroimaging & Cognitive Genomics (NICOG), Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, NCBES Galway Neuroscience Centre, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, H91TK33 Galway, Ireland
| | - Peter McCarthy
- Department of Radiology, College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Dara M Cannon
- Centre for Neuroimaging & Cognitive Genomics (NICOG), Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, NCBES Galway Neuroscience Centre, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, H91TK33 Galway, Ireland
| | - Brian Hallahan
- Centre for Neuroimaging & Cognitive Genomics (NICOG), Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, NCBES Galway Neuroscience Centre, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, H91TK33 Galway, Ireland
| | - Colm McDonald
- Centre for Neuroimaging & Cognitive Genomics (NICOG), Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, NCBES Galway Neuroscience Centre, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, H91TK33 Galway, Ireland
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38
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Bauduin SEEC, van der Pal Z, Pereira AM, Meijer OC, Giltay EJ, van der Wee NJA, van der Werff SJA. Cortical thickness abnormalities in long-term remitted Cushing's disease. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:293. [PMID: 32826851 PMCID: PMC7443132 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-00980-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Long-term remitted Cushing's disease (LTRCD) patients commonly continue to present persistent psychological and cognitive deficits, and alterations in brain function and structure. Although previous studies have conducted gray matter volume analyses, assessing cortical thickness and surface area of LTRCD patients may offer further insight into the neuroanatomical substrates of Cushing's disease. Structural 3T magnetic resonance images were obtained from 25 LTRCD patients, and 25 age-, gender-, and education-matched healthy controls (HCs). T1-weighted images were segmented using FreeSurfer software to extract mean cortical thickness and surface area values of 68 cortical gray matter regions and two whole hemispheres. Paired sample t tests explored differences between the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC; region of interest), and the whole brain. Validated scales assessed psychiatric symptomatology, self-reported cognitive functioning, and disease severity. After correction for multiple comparisons, ROI analyses indicated that LTRCD-patients showed reduced cortical thickness of the left caudal ACC and the right rostral ACC compared to HCs. Whole-brain analyses indicated thinner cortices of the left caudal ACC, left cuneus, left posterior cingulate cortex, right rostral ACC, and bilateral precuneus compared to HCs. No cortical surface area differences were identified. Cortical thickness of the left caudal ACC and left cuneus were inversely associated with anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and disease duration, although certain associations did not persist after correction for multiple testing. In six of 68 regions examined, LTRCD patients had reduced cortical thickness in comparison to HCs. Cortical thickness of the left caudal ACC was inversely associated with disease duration. This suggests that prolonged and excessive exposure to glucocorticoids may be related to cortical thinning of brain structures involved in emotional and cognitive processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- S E E C Bauduin
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands.
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Z van der Pal
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - A M Pereira
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases and Center for Endocrine Tumors, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - O C Meijer
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases and Center for Endocrine Tumors, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - E J Giltay
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - N J A van der Wee
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - S J A van der Werff
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Romero-Garcia R, Seidlitz J, Whitaker KJ, Morgan SE, Fonagy P, Dolan RJ, Jones PB, Goodyer IM, Suckling J, Vértes PE, Bullmore ET. Schizotypy-Related Magnetization of Cortex in Healthy Adolescence Is Colocated With Expression of Schizophrenia-Related Genes. Biol Psychiatry 2020; 88:248-259. [PMID: 32029217 PMCID: PMC7369635 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Revised: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genetic risk is thought to drive clinical variation on a spectrum of schizophrenia-like traits, but the underlying changes in brain structure that mechanistically link genomic variation to schizotypal experience and behavior are unclear. METHODS We assessed schizotypy using a self-reported questionnaire and measured magnetization transfer as a putative microstructural magnetic resonance imaging marker of intracortical myelination in 68 brain regions in 248 healthy young people (14-25 years of age). We used normative adult brain gene expression data and partial least squares analysis to find the weighted gene expression pattern that was most colocated with the cortical map of schizotypy-related magnetization. RESULTS Magnetization was significantly correlated with schizotypy in the bilateral posterior cingulate cortex and precuneus (and for disorganized schizotypy, also in medial prefrontal cortex; all false discovery rate-corrected ps < .05), which are regions of the default mode network specialized for social and memory functions. The genes most positively weighted on the whole-genome expression map colocated with schizotypy-related magnetization were enriched for genes that were significantly downregulated in two prior case-control histological studies of brain gene expression in schizophrenia. Conversely, the most negatively weighted genes were enriched for genes that were transcriptionally upregulated in schizophrenia. Positively weighted (downregulated) genes were enriched for neuronal, specifically interneuronal, affiliations and coded a network of proteins comprising a few highly interactive "hubs" such as parvalbumin and calmodulin. CONCLUSIONS Microstructural magnetic resonance imaging maps of intracortical magnetization can be linked to both the behavioral traits of schizotypy and prior histological data on dysregulated gene expression in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jakob Seidlitz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Kirstie J Whitaker
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Alan Turing Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah E Morgan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Fonagy
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Raymond J Dolan
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Peter B Jones
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Huntingdon, United Kingdom
| | - Ian M Goodyer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Huntingdon, United Kingdom
| | - John Suckling
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Petra E Vértes
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Alan Turing Institute, London, United Kingdom; School of Mathematical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Edward T Bullmore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Huntingdon, United Kingdom
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Palaniyappan L, Al-Radaideh A, Gowland PA, Liddle PF. Cortical thickness and formal thought disorder in schizophrenia: An ultra high-field network-based morphometry study. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2020; 101:109911. [PMID: 32151693 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.109911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Revised: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Persistent formal thought disorder (FTD) is a core feature of schizophrenia. Recent cognitive and neuroimaging studies indicate a distinct mechanistic pathway underlying the persistent positive FTD (pFTD or disorganized thinking), though its structural determinants are still elusive. Using network-based cortical thickness estimates from ultra-high field 7-Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging (7T MRI), we investigated the structural correlates of pFTD. METHODS We obtained speech samples and 7T MRI anatomical scans from medicated clinically stable patients with schizophrenia (n = 19) and healthy controls (n = 20). Network-based morphometry was used to estimate the mean cortical thickness of 17 functional networks covering the entire cortical surface from each subject. We also quantified the vertexwise variability of thickness within each network to quantify the spatial coherence of the 17 networks, estimated patients vs. controls differences, and related the thickness of the affected networks to the severity of pFTD. RESULTS Patients had reduced thickness of the frontoparietal and default mode networks, and reduced spatial coherence affecting the salience and the frontoparietal control network. A higher burden of positive FTD related to reduced frontoparietal thickness and reduced spatial coherence of the salience network. The presence of positive FTD, but not its severity, related to the reduced thickness of the language network comprising of the superior temporal cortex. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that cortical thickness of both cognitive control and language networks underlie the positive FTD in schizophrenia. The structural integrity of cognitive control networks is a critical determinant of the expressed severity of persistent FTD in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Palaniyappan
- Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada; Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Ali Al-Radaideh
- Department of Medical Imaging, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan.; Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre (SPMIC), School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Penny A Gowland
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre (SPMIC), School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Peter F Liddle
- Translational Neuroimaging for Mental Health, Division of Psychiatry and Applied Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
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41
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Wang D, Han L, Xi C, Xu Y, Lai J, Lu S, Huang M, Hu J, Wei N, Xu W, Zhou W, Lu Q, He H, Hu S. Interactive effects of gender and sexual orientation on cortical thickness, surface area and gray matter volume: a structural brain MRI study. Quant Imaging Med Surg 2020; 10:835-846. [PMID: 32355647 DOI: 10.21037/qims.2020.03.07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Background Testosterone is thought to play a crucial role in sexual differentiation of the brain, and sexual orientation is programmed into our brain structures even when we are still fetuses. Although gender and sexual orientation differences have been shown respectively in many brain structures, the mechanism underlying the sexual differentiation of the brain is still unknown. The study is to investigate the interactive effects of gender and sexual orientation on cerebral structures in homosexual and heterosexual people. Methods Sexual orientation was evaluated by the Kinsey scale. We collected structural magnetic resonance image (MRI) data of local cortical thickness, surface area, and gray matter volume in all the subjects (29 homosexual and 29 heterosexual men, 17 homosexual and 17 heterosexual women). Statistical maps were generated using a general linear model (GLM) using FreeSurfer's Query, Design, Estimate, Contrast (QDEC) interface. We had sexual orientation and gender as 2 discrete factors with 2 levels, allowing for the generation of the interaction between sexual orientation and gender: homosexual women and heterosexual men versus heterosexual women and homosexual men. Coordinates were in Talairach space. All the cluster sizes were calculated with a P value of 0.01. Results Results revealed interactions concerning the area and gray matter volume between the factors of sexual orientation and gender. Regarding the thickness, an interaction was not found in any regions of the clusters. Regarding the area, an interaction was found in region of left middle temporal lobe, inferior temporal lobe, lateral occipital lobe, fusiform [(-58.1, -38.6, -14.7), maximum vertex-wise (MV) log10(P) =3.30, cluster size (CS) =1,286.90 mm2], and left rostral middle frontal lobe, pars opercularis, caudal middle frontal lobe [(-37.3, 23.6, 24.8), MV log10(P) =2.92, CS =1,194.40 mm2]. Regarding the gray matter volume, an interaction was found in the region of the left pars opercularis (inferior frontal gyrus) [(-42.9, 6.3, 18.5), MV log10(P) =1.31, CS =526.79 mm2]. Conclusions The present study extends our understandings of how structural features differ in homosexual men, heterosexual men, homosexual women, and heterosexual women. Furthermore, it highlights the interactions between sexual orientation and gender in the left inferior frontal gyrus, bilateral temporal lobe, and the right rostral anterior cingulate cortex, which are suggested to play a critical role in the sexual differentiation of the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China.,The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder Management in Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Lu Han
- Center for Brain Imaging Science and Technology, Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrumental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Caixi Xi
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China.,The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder Management in Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Yi Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China.,The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder Management in Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Jianbo Lai
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China.,The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder Management in Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Shaojia Lu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China.,The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder Management in Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Manli Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China.,The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder Management in Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Jianbo Hu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China.,The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder Management in Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Ning Wei
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China.,The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder Management in Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Weijuan Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China.,The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder Management in Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Weihua Zhou
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China.,The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder Management in Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Qiaoqiao Lu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China.,The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder Management in Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Hongjian He
- Center for Brain Imaging Science and Technology, Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrumental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Shaohua Hu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China.,The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder Management in Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
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Takahashi S, Keeser D, Rauchmann BS, Schneider-Axmann T, Keller-Varady K, Maurus I, Dechent P, Wobrock T, Hasan A, Schmitt A, Ertl-Wagner B, Malchow B, Falkai P. Effect of aerobic exercise combined with cognitive remediation on cortical thickness and prediction of social adaptation in patients with schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2020; 216:397-407. [PMID: 31806522 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Revised: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Aerobic exercise is a promising intervention for patients with schizophrenia, but structural neuroplastic effects on brain regions relevant to the pathophysiology of the disease remain unclear. This study aimed to elucidate longitudinal changes in cortical thickness after aerobic exercise intervention in schizophrenia patients and the relationship of these changes to clinical correlates. We investigated 21 schizophrenia patients and 23 healthy controls who performed aerobic exercise and 21 schizophrenia patients who played table soccer. The 12-week exercise intervention was combined with computer-assisted cognitive remediation training from week 6 to week 12. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were acquired at baseline and weeks 6, 12, and 24. The thickness of the entorhinal, parahippocampal, and lateral and medial prefrontal cortices was assessed with FreeSurfer 6.0. The schizophrenia aerobic exercise group showed a significant increase of cortical thickness in the right entorhinal cortex at week 6, and we found a significant correlation between the cortical thickness of the right lateral prefrontal cortex at baseline and improvement of social adaptation at week 12. In the schizophrenia table soccer and healthy control groups, we found no significant longitudinal change in cortical thickness through the intervention and follow-up period and no correlation of cortical thickness at baseline with clinical measures. Our results suggest that aerobic exercise in schizophrenia modulates the thickness of the entorhinal cortex, a structure adjacent to the hippocampus. Greater cortical thickness of the right lateral prefrontal cortex appears to predict better clinical response to an aerobic exercise intervention in patients with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shun Takahashi
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstraße 7, 80336, Munich, Germany; Department of Neuropsychiatry, Wakayama Medical University, 811-1 Kimiidera, 6410012, Wakayama, Japan.
| | - Daniel Keeser
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstraße 7, 80336, Munich, Germany; Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Marchioninistraße 15, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Boris-Stephan Rauchmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstraße 7, 80336, Munich, Germany; Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Marchioninistraße 15, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas Schneider-Axmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstraße 7, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Katriona Keller-Varady
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstraße 7, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Isabel Maurus
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstraße 7, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Peter Dechent
- Institute for Cognitive Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Straße 40, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Wobrock
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Georg-August-University, Von-Siebold-Str. 5, 37075, Göttingen, Germany; Centre of Mental Health, County Hospitals Darmstadt-Dieburg, Krankenhausstraße 7, 64823, Groß-Umstadt, Germany
| | - Alkomiet Hasan
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstraße 7, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Andrea Schmitt
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstraße 7, 80336, Munich, Germany; Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM27), Institute of Psychiatry, University of Sao Paulo, 05403-010, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Birgit Ertl-Wagner
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Marchioninistraße 15, 81377, Munich, Germany; Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, McCaul Street 263, Toronto, M5T1W7, Ontario, Canada
| | - Berend Malchow
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstraße 7, 80336, Munich, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Jena, Philosophenweg 3, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Peter Falkai
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstraße 7, 80336, Munich, Germany
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Auday ES, Pérez-Edgar KE. Limbic and prefrontal neural volume modulate social anxiety in children at temperamental risk. Depress Anxiety 2019; 36:690-700. [PMID: 31373755 PMCID: PMC6684311 DOI: 10.1002/da.22941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2018] [Revised: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clinical levels of a social anxiety disorder (SAD) often appear during childhood and rise to a peak during late adolescence. The temperament trait behavioral inhibition (BI), evident early in childhood, has been linked to increased risk for SAD. Functional and structural variations in brain regions associated with the identification of, and response to, fear may support the BI-SAD relation. Whereas relevant functional studies are emerging, the few extant structural studies have focused on adult samples with mixed findings. METHODS A moderated-mediation model was used to examine the relations between BI, SAD symptoms, and brain-volume individual differences in a sample of children at risk for anxiety (ages 9-12; N = 130, 52 BI). RESULTS Our findings indicate that at higher levels of BI, children with smaller anterior insula volumes showed stronger correlations between BI and SAD. In addition, larger ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) volumes were associated with fewer SAD symptoms. CONCLUSIONS These findings support previous reports linking SAD levels with variations in volume and reactivity in both limbic (insula) and prefrontal (vlPFC) regions. These findings set the foundation for further examination of networks of neural structures that influence the transition from BI to SAD across development, helping further clarify mechanisms of risk and resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eran S. Auday
- The Pennsylvania State University,Geisinger Health System
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Chen YH, Howell B, Edgar JC, Huang M, Kochunov P, Hunter MA, Wootton C, Lu BY, Bustillo J, Sadek JR, Miller GA, Cañive JM. Associations and Heritability of Auditory Encoding, Gray Matter, and Attention in Schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull 2019; 45:859-870. [PMID: 30099543 PMCID: PMC6581123 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sby111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Auditory encoding abnormalities, gray-matter loss, and cognitive deficits are all candidate schizophrenia (SZ) endophenotypes. This study evaluated associations between and heritability of auditory network attributes (function and structure) and attention in healthy controls (HC), SZ patients, and unaffected relatives (UR). METHODS Whole-brain maps of M100 auditory activity from magnetoencephalography recordings, cortical thickness (CT), and a measure of attention were obtained from 70 HC, 69 SZ patients, and 35 UR. Heritability estimates (h2r) were obtained for M100, CT at each group-difference region, and the attention measure. RESULTS SZ patients had weaker bilateral superior temporal gyrus (STG) M100 responses than HC and a weaker right frontal M100 response than UR. Abnormally large M100 responses in left superior frontal gyrus were observed in UR and SZ patients. SZ patients showed smaller CT in bilateral STG and right frontal regions. Interrelatedness between 3 putative SZ endophenotypes was demonstrated, although in the left STG the M100 and CT function-structure associations observed in HC and UR were absent in SZ patients. Heritability analyses also showed that right frontal M100 and bilateral STG CT measures are significantly heritable. CONCLUSIONS Present findings indicated that the 3 SZ endophenotypes examined are not isolated markers of pathology but instead are connected. The pattern of auditory encoding group differences and the pattern of brain function-structure associations differ as a function of brain region, indicating the need for regional specificity when studying these endophenotypes, and with the presence of left STG function-structure associations in HC and UR but not in SZ perhaps reflecting disease-associated damage to gray matter that disrupts function-structure relationships in SZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Han Chen
- Department of Radiology, Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA,To whom correspondence should be addressed; Department of Radiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Seashore House 1F Room 116B, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; tel: +1(267)426-0959, fax: +1(267)425-2465, e-mail:
| | - Breannan Howell
- Department of Psychology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Psychiatric Research, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
| | - J Christopher Edgar
- Department of Radiology, Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Mingxiong Huang
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA,Department of Radiology, VA San Diego Healthcare System, US Department of Veterans Affairs, San Diego, CA
| | - Peter Kochunov
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, The University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD
| | - Michael A Hunter
- Department of Psychology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Psychiatric Research, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
| | - Cassandra Wootton
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Psychiatric Research, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
| | - Brett Y Lu
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI
| | - Juan Bustillo
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Psychiatric Research, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
| | - Joseph R Sadek
- Psychiatry Research, New Mexico VA Health Care System, Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Albuquerque, NM
| | - Gregory A Miller
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA,Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - José M Cañive
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Psychiatric Research, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM,Psychiatry Research, New Mexico VA Health Care System, Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Albuquerque, NM
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Hanford LC, Pinnock F, Hall GB, Heinrichs RW. Cortical thickness correlates of cognitive performance in cognitively-matched individuals with and without schizophrenia. Brain Cogn 2019; 132:129-137. [PMID: 31005042 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2019.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2018] [Revised: 03/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is characterized by psychosis and, in most cases, cognitive impairment. It is unclear, however, whether these elements of the disorder represent distinct or related disease processes. Accordingly, this study investigated 3-way interactions between group, cognition and cortical thickness in cognitively-matched patients with schizophrenia and healthy control groups. Patients and healthy controls were group-matched on demographics and a broadly-based index of cognitive performance. T1-weighted images were processed using Freesurfer. Variable selection techniques were applied to determine which regions best predicted 3-way interaction effects. Independent variables included age, sex, IQ, and 87 regional cortical thickness values strongly associated with group or cognition. Antipsychotic treatment effects were also investigated. Twenty regions were selected by the best fitting model. The top 6 regions included the left pre- and post-central, left superior frontal and temporal and right rostral and caudal middle frontal cortices. No antipsychotic treatment effects were seen. Cortical thinning in schizophrenia exists even in the absence of cognitive impairment. Our findings support the separation of psychosis and cognitive impairment as independent disease processes, with distinct relations with cortical thickness in prefrontal cortical areas. Parsing out these two disease processes will increase understanding of heterogeneity in schizophrenia and may modify treatment targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay C Hanford
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Farena Pinnock
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ONT, Canada
| | - Geoffrey B Hall
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ONT, Canada
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Zhang Z, Wang Y, Zhang Q, Zhao W, Chen X, Zhai J, Chen M, Du B, Deng X, Ji F, Wang C, Xiang Y, Li D, Wu H, Dong Q, Chen C, Li J. The effects of CACNA1C gene polymorphism on prefrontal cortex in both schizophrenia patients and healthy controls. Schizophr Res 2019; 204:193-200. [PMID: 30268820 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2018.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2017] [Revised: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 09/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
CACNA1C gene polymorphism rs2007044 has been reported to be associated with schizophrenia, but its underlying brain mechanism is not clear. First, we conducted an exploratory functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study using an N-BACK task and a Stroop task in 194 subjects (55 schizophrenia patients and 139 healthy controls). Our whole brain analysis found that the risk allele was associated with reduced activation of the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) during the Stroop task (cluster size = 390 voxels, P < 0.05 TFCE-FWE corrected; peak MNI coordinates: x = -57, y = -6, z = 30). We also conducted a functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) study using the same Stroop task in an independent sample of 126 healthy controls to validate the fMRI finding. Our repeated-measures ANCOVA on the six channels (20, 27, 33, 34, 40 and 46) within the left IFG also found significant result. The polymorphism rs2007044 showed significant effect on the oxy-Hb data (F = 5.072, P = 0.026) and showed significant interaction effect with channels on the deoxy-Hb data (F = 2.841, P = 0.015). Taken together, results of this study suggested that rs2007044 could affect the activation of the left IFG, which was a possible brain mechanism underlying the association between CACNA1C gene polymorphism and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhifang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, PR China
| | - Yanyan Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, HePing Hospital of Chang Zhou, Jiangsu 213003, China
| | - Qiumei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, PR China; School of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, 45# Jianshe South Road, Jining 272013, Shandong Province, PR China
| | - Wan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, PR China
| | - Xiongying Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, PR China
| | - Jinguo Zhai
- School of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, 45# Jianshe South Road, Jining 272013, Shandong Province, PR China
| | - Min Chen
- School of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, 45# Jianshe South Road, Jining 272013, Shandong Province, PR China
| | - Boqi Du
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, PR China
| | - Xiaoxiang Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, PR China
| | - Feng Ji
- School of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, 45# Jianshe South Road, Jining 272013, Shandong Province, PR China
| | | | - Yutao Xiang
- Beijing Anding Hospital, Beijing 100088, PR China; Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau
| | - Dawei Li
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Hongjie Wu
- Shengli Hospital of Shengli Petroleum Administration Bureau, Dongying 257022, Shandong Province, PR China
| | - Qi Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, PR China
| | - Chuansheng Chen
- Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States
| | - Jun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, PR China.
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47
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Xie T, Zhang X, Tang X, Zhang H, Yu M, Gong G, Wang X, Evans A, Zhang Z, He Y. Mapping Convergent and Divergent Cortical Thinning Patterns in Patients With Deficit and Nondeficit Schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull 2019; 45:211-221. [PMID: 29272543 PMCID: PMC6293229 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbx178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Deficit schizophrenia (DS) is a homogeneous subtype of schizophrenia characterized by primary and enduring negative symptoms. However, the underlying neuroanatomical substrate of DS remains poorly understood. Here, we collected high-resolution structural magnetic resonance images of 115 participants, including 33 DS patients, 41 nondeficit schizophrenia (NDS) patients, and 41 healthy controls (HCs), and calculated the cortical thickness and surface area for statistical comparisons among the 3 groups. Relative to the control group, both the DS and NDS groups exhibited convergent cortical thinning in the bilateral inferior frontal gyri and the left superior temporal gyrus. The cortical thinning in the right inferior frontal cortex in the patient group was significantly positively correlated with declines of cognitive flexibility and visuospatial memory. Importantly, compared to the NDS group, the DS group exhibited a more widespread cortical thinning pattern, with the most significant differences in the left temporo-parietal junction area. For the surface area measurement, no significant group differences were observed. Collectively, these results highlight the convergent and divergent cortical thinning patterns between patients with DS and NDS, which provide critical insights into the neuroanatomical substrate of DS and improve our understanding of the biological mechanism that contributes to the negative symptoms and cognitive impairments in DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teng Xie
- National Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China,Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China,IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangrong Zhang
- Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, Nanjing Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China,Department of Neuropsychiatry, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaowei Tang
- Department of Psychiatry, Wutaishan Hospital of Yangzhou, Yangzhou, China
| | - Hongying Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Subei People’s Hospital of Jiangsu Province, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Miao Yu
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Gaolang Gong
- National Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China,Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China,IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiang Wang
- Medical Psychological Institute of the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Alan Evans
- McConnell Brain Imaging Center, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, Canada
| | - Zhijun Zhang
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yong He
- National Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China,Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China,IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China,To whom correspondence should be addressed; National Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China. E-mail:
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48
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Köse G, Jessen K, Ebdrup BH, Nielsen MØ. Associations between cortical thickness and auditory verbal hallucinations in patients with schizophrenia: A systematic review. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2018; 282:31-39. [PMID: 30384148 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2018.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Revised: 08/24/2018] [Accepted: 10/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Auditory verbal hallucinations are common symptoms in schizophrenia patients, and recent magnetic resonance imaging studies have suggested associations between cortical thickness and auditory verbal hallucinations. This article summarises the associations between cortical thickness reduction and auditory verbal hallucinations, conceptualising the findings based on the Research Domain Criteria framework. Six studies identified in a systematic literature search were included in the review. Cortical thickness reductions in schizophrenia patients with auditory verbal hallucinations were reported in the transverse temporal gyrus in four of the studies, in the superior temporal gyrus in three of them, and in the middle temporal gyrus in three of the studies. These regions are collectively associated with auditory perception in the cognitive system domain in the Research Domain Criteria. Findings in other brain areas were inconsistent, which may reflect uncharacterised differences in the phenomenology and subjective experience of auditory verbal hallucinations. Future studies are encouraged to apply the Research Domain Criteria to characterise other putative networks associated with the subjective experience of auditory verbal hallucinations. This approach may facilitate understanding of current inconsistencies between auditory verbal hallucinations and cortical thickness in other brain areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Güldas Köse
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kasper Jessen
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, CNSR, Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, CINS, Mental Health Centre, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - Bjørn H Ebdrup
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark; Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, CNSR, Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, CINS, Mental Health Centre, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - Mette Ødegaard Nielsen
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark; Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, CNSR, Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, CINS, Mental Health Centre, Glostrup, Denmark.
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49
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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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50
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Jirsaraie RJ, Sheffield JM, Barch DM. Neural correlates of global and specific cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2018; 201:237-242. [PMID: 29954699 PMCID: PMC6814153 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2018.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Revised: 02/14/2018] [Accepted: 06/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive deficits are a core feature of schizophrenia, but the neural mechanisms that contribute to these characteristics are not fully understood. This study investigated whether volume of the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), hippocampus, and white matter were associated with impairment in specific cognitive domains, including executive functioning, working memory, verbal memory, verbal fluency, processing speed, versus global functioning. The multi-site data used in this study was collected from the Bipolar and Schizophrenia Network on Intermediate Phenotypes (B-SNIP), and consisted of 206 healthy controls and 247 individuals with either schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. The neuroimaging data was segmented based on the Destrieux atlas in FreeSurfer. Linear regression analyses revealed that global cognition, executive functioning, working memory, and processing speed were associated with all brain structures, except the DLPFC was only associated with executive fucntion. When controlling for the global cognitive deficit, executive function was trending significance with white matter, but continued to be associated with the DLPFC and IFG, as did the association between processing speed and the hippocampus. These findings suggest that volumes of the DLPFC, IFG, hippocampus, and white matter are associated with the global cognitive impairment seen in schizophrenia, but some brain structures may also be specifically related to domain-specific deficits (primarily executive function) over-and-beyond the global cognitive deficit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J. Jirsaraie
- Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Denver, 1250 14th Street, Denver, CO, 80204, United States of America,Corresponding author. , (R.J. Jirsaraie)
| | - Julia M. Sheffield
- Department of Psychological&Brain Science, Washington University, Box 1125, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO, 63130, United States of America
| | - Deanna M. Barch
- Department of Psychological&Brain Science, Washington University, Box 1125, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO, 63130, United States of America,Department of Psychiatry, Washington University, Box 1125, One Brookings Drive, St Louis, MO, 63130, United States of America
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