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Zhou Z, Jones K, Ivleva EI, Colon-Perez L. Macro- and Micro-Structural Alterations in the Midbrain in Early Psychosis. bioRxiv 2024:2024.04.10.588901. [PMID: 38645197 PMCID: PMC11030414 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.10.588901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Introduction Early psychosis (EP) is a critical period in the course of psychotic disorders during which the brain is thought to undergo rapid and significant functional and structural changes 1 . Growing evidence suggests that the advent of psychotic disorders is early alterations in the brain's functional connectivity and structure, leading to aberrant neural network organization. The Human Connectome Project (HCP) is a global effort to map the human brain's connectivity in healthy and disease populations; within HCP, there is a specific dataset that focuses on the EP subjects (i.e., those within five years of the initial psychotic episode) (HCP-EP), which is the focus of our study. Given the critically important role of the midbrain function and structure in psychotic disorders (cite), and EP in particular (cite), we specifically focused on the midbrain macro- and micro-structural alterations and their association with clinical outcomes in HCP-EP. Methods We examined macro- and micro-structural brain alterations in the HCP-EP sample (n=179: EP, n=123, Controls, n=56) as well as their associations with behavioral measures (i.e., symptoms severity) using a stepwise approach, incorporating a multimodal MRI analysis procedure. First, Deformation Based Morphometry (DBM) was carried out on the whole brain 3 Tesla T1w images to examine gross brain anatomy (i.e., seed-based and voxel-based volumes). Second, we extracted Fractional Anisotropy (FA), Axial Diffusivity (AD), and Mean Diffusivity (MD) indices from the Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) data; a midbrain mask was created based on FreeSurfer v.6.0 atlas. Third, we employed Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) to determine microstructural alterations in white matter tracts within the midbrain and broader regions. Finally, we conducted correlation analyses to examine associations between the DBM-, DTI- and TBSS-based outcomes and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) scores. Results DBM analysis showed alterations in the hippocampus, midbrain, and caudate/putamen. A DTI voxel-based analysis shows midbrain reductions in FA and AD and increases in MD; meanwhile, the hippocampus shows an increase in FA and a decrease in AD and MD. Several key brain regions also show alterations in DTI indices (e.g., insula, caudate, prefrontal cortex). A seed-based analysis centered around a midbrain region of interest obtained from freesurfer segmentation confirms the voxel-based analysis of DTI indices. TBSS successfully captured structural differences within the midbrain and complementary alterations in other main white matter tracts, such as the corticospinal tract and cingulum, suggesting early altered brain connectivity in EP. Correlations between these quantities in the EP group and behavioral scores (i.e., PANSS and CAINS tests) were explored. It was found that midbrain volume noticeably correlates with the Cognitive score of PA and all DTI metrics. FA correlates with the several dimensions of the PANSS, while AD and MD do not show many associations with PANSS or CAINS. Conclusions Our findings contribute to understanding the midbrain-focused circuitry involvement in EP and complimentary alteration in EP. Our work provides a path for future investigations to inform specific brain-based biomarkers of EP and their relationships to clinical manifestations of the psychosis course.
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O'Neill A, Dooley N, Roddy D, Healy C, Carey E, Frodl T, O'Hanlon E, Cannon M. Longitudinal hippocampal subfield development associated with psychotic experiences in young people. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:44. [PMID: 38245522 PMCID: PMC10799917 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02746-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Hippocampal volumetric reductions are observed across the psychosis spectrum, with interest in the localisation of these reductions within the hippocampal subfields increasing. Deficits of the CA1 subfield in particular have been implicated in the neuropathophysiology of psychotic disorders. Investigating the trajectory of these abnormalities in healthy adolescents reporting sub-threshold psychotic experiences (PE) can provide insight into the neural mechanisms underlying psychotic symptoms without the potentially confounding effects of a formal disorder, or antipsychotic medication. In this novel investigation, a sample of 211 young people aged 11-13 participated initially in the Adolescent Brain Development study. PE classification was determined by expert consensus at each timepoint. Participants underwent neuroimaging at 3 timepoints, over 6 years. 78 participants with at least one scan were included in the final sample; 33 who met criteria for a definite PE at least once across all the timepoints (PE group), and 45 controls. Data from bilateral subfields of interest (CA1, CA2/3, CA4/DG, presubiculum and subiculum) were extracted for Linear Mixed Effects analyses. Before correction, subfield volumes were found to increase in the control group and decrease in the PE group for the right CA2 and CA2/3 subfields, with moderate to large effect sizes (d = -0.61, and d = -0.79, respectively). Before correction, right subiculum and left presubiculum volumes were reduced in the PE group compared to controls, regardless of time, with moderate effect sizes (d = -0.52, and d = -0.59, respectively). However, none of these effects survived correction. Severity of symptoms were not associated with any of the noted subfields. These findings provide novel insight to the discussion of the role of hippocampal subfield abnormalities in the pathophysiology underlying psychotic experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aisling O'Neill
- Department of Psychology, St Patrick's Mental Health Services, Dublin, Ireland.
- Department of Psychiatry, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, St Stephens Green, Dublin, Ireland.
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Niamh Dooley
- Department of Psychiatry, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, St Stephens Green, Dublin, Ireland
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Darren Roddy
- Department of Psychiatry, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, St Stephens Green, Dublin, Ireland
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Colm Healy
- Department of Psychiatry, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, St Stephens Green, Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Eleanor Carey
- Department of Psychiatry, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, St Stephens Green, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Thomas Frodl
- Department of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Klinik für Psychiatrie, Psychotherapie und Psychosomatik, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Erik O'Hanlon
- Department of Psychiatry, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, St Stephens Green, Dublin, Ireland
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Mary Cannon
- Department of Psychiatry, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, St Stephens Green, Dublin, Ireland
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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Oliver D, Davies C, Zelaya F, Selvaggi P, De Micheli A, Catalan A, Baldwin H, Arribas M, Modinos G, Crossley NA, Allen P, Egerton A, Jauhar S, Howes OD, McGuire P, Fusar-Poli P. Parsing neurobiological heterogeneity of the clinical high-risk state for psychosis: A pseudo-continuous arterial spin labelling study. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1092213. [PMID: 36970257 PMCID: PMC10031088 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1092213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The impact of the clinical high-risk for psychosis (CHR-P) construct is dependent on accurately predicting outcomes. Individuals with brief limited intermittent psychotic symptoms (BLIPS) have higher risk of developing a first episode of psychosis (FEP) compared to individuals with attenuated psychotic symptoms (APS). Supplementing subgroup stratification with information from candidate biomarkers based on neurobiological parameters, such as resting-state, regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), may help refine risk estimates. Based on previous evidence, we hypothesized that individuals with BLIPS would exhibit increased rCBF compared to APS in key regions linked to dopaminergic pathways. Methods Data from four studies were combined using ComBat (to account for between-study differences) to analyse rCBF in 150 age- and sex-matched subjects (n = 30 healthy controls [HCs], n = 80 APS, n = 20 BLIPS and n = 20 FEP). Global gray matter (GM) rCBF was examined in addition to region-of-interest (ROI) analyses in bilateral/left/right frontal cortex, hippocampus and striatum. Group differences were assessed using general linear models: (i) alone; (ii) with global GM rCBF as a covariate; (iii) with global GM rCBF and smoking status as covariates. Significance was set at p < 0.05. Results Whole-brain voxel-wise analyses and Bayesian ROI analyses were also conducted. No significant group differences were found in global [F(3,143) = 1,41, p = 0.24], bilateral frontal cortex [F(3,143) = 1.01, p = 0.39], hippocampus [F(3,143) = 0.63, p = 0.60] or striatum [F(3,143) = 0.52, p = 0.57] rCBF. Similar null findings were observed in lateralized ROIs (p > 0.05). All results were robust to addition of covariates (p > 0.05). No significant clusters were identified in whole-brain voxel-wise analyses (p > 0.05FWE). Weak-to-moderate evidence was found for an absence of rCBF differences between APS and BLIPS in Bayesian ROI analyses. Conclusion On this evidence, APS and BLIPS are unlikely to be neurobiologically distinct. Due to this and the weak-to-moderate evidence for the null hypothesis, future research should investigate larger samples of APS and BLIPS through collaboration across large-scale international consortia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic Oliver
- Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical-detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Cathy Davies
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Neuroimaging, Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Fernando Zelaya
- Department of Neuroimaging, Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Pierluigi Selvaggi
- Department of Neuroimaging, Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN), University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Andrea De Micheli
- Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical-detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- OASIS Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ana Catalan
- Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical-detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- Mental Health Department, Basurto University Hospital, Facultad de Medicina y Odontología, Campus de Leioa, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, UPV/EHU, University of the Basque Country, Barakaldo, Spain
| | - Helen Baldwin
- Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical-detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- NIHR Mental Health Policy Research Unit, Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Maite Arribas
- Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical-detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gemma Modinos
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Neuroimaging, Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nicolas A. Crossley
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Paul Allen
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, University of Roehampton, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alice Egerton
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sameer Jauhar
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Oliver D. Howes
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Philip McGuire
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- OASIS Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
- Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, National Institute for Health Research, London, United Kingdom
| | - Paolo Fusar-Poli
- Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical-detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- OASIS Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
- Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, National Institute for Health Research, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
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