A diffusion tensor imaging study of middle and superior cerebellar peduncle in male patients with schizophrenia

Many studies have confirmed that the cerebellum takes part in higher-order cognitive coordination; profound fibers projecting to and from the cerebellum underlie its cognitive function. Since the superior and middle cerebellar peduncles are the main pathways of neural fibers in the cerebellum, these structures became the focus of our interest in evaluating the cognitive dysfunction reported in schizophrenia. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to examine the anatomical integrity of the neural fibers in the superior and middle cerebellar peduncles. DTI was performed on 29 patients and 20 normal controls; we subsequently calculated the fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity in these regions. Statistical analysis revealed that there was no significant difference between patients with schizophrenia and our matched control group. No structural abnormalities were detected in the white matter of the superior and middle cerebellar peduncles.