Structural brain networks and neuropsychiatric disorders
Wei Wen1, Yong He, Perminder Sachdev
1School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. w.wen@unsw.edu.au
Current Opinion in Psychiatry
|March 25, 2011
Summary
Graph theory analysis of neuroimaging reveals structural brain network abnormalities in neuropsychiatric disorders like Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, and epilepsy, offering new insights.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Graph Theory
- Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Background:
- Graph theoretical analysis of neuroimaging data provides a quantitative framework for examining brain connectivity.
- Structural brain network research is an emerging area for understanding neuropsychiatric disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advances in structural brain network research for neuropsychiatric disorders.
- To highlight the application of graph theory in analyzing brain connectivity.
Main Methods:
- Review of seven recent studies on Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, and epilepsy.
- Utilized structural brain network approaches including cortical thickness, gray matter volume correlations, and diffusion tensor imaging tractography.
Main Results:
- Structural brain network analysis effectively captures regional and whole-brain organizational abnormalities in neuropsychiatric disorders.
- Recent studies demonstrate the utility of structural brain networks in Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, and epilepsy.
Conclusions:
- Graph theory applied to brain networks offers a powerful method for studying neuropsychiatric disorders.
- This quantitative framework, exploring topological attributes, may enhance understanding of these conditions.
- Further research applying structural brain network analysis is encouraged.
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