Symmetric abnormalities in sulcal patterning in schizophrenia.

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Schizophrenia is a complex psychiatric disorder.
• Alterations in brain morphology, particularly the cerebral cortex, are implicated in schizophrenia.
• Understanding the characteristic patterns of gyri and sulci is crucial for diagnosis and treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare cerebral cortex morphology, specifically gyri and sulci patterns, between individuals with and without schizophrenia.
• To investigate group differences in sulcal depth and interhemispheric symmetry.
• To explore correlations between cortical morphology and cognitive function in schizophrenia.

Main Methods:

• T1-weighted magnetic resonance scans from 33 individuals with schizophrenia and 30 healthy controls.
• Reconstruction of cortical mid-thickness surfaces and registration to the human PALS cortical atlas.
• Cluster size and interhemispheric symmetry analyses to assess group differences in sulcal depth.

Main Results:

• Significantly shallower average sulcal depth bilaterally in the parietal operculum of individuals with schizophrenia.
• Significant bilateral symmetry in group differences of sulcal depth across occipital, parietal, and temporal cortices.
• In schizophrenia, left hemisphere sulcal depth correlated with impaired working memory and executive function.

Conclusions:

• Individuals with schizophrenia display distinct cerebral cortex morphology, characterized by shallower sulci in specific regions.
• Altered cortical folding patterns are bilaterally symmetrical across major lobes and associated with cognitive impairments.
• These findings contribute to understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of schizophrenia.