Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 16, 2026
09:33
Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Analysis of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Published on: July 28, 2013
White matter microstructural abnormalities in patients with late-onset schizophrenia identified by a voxel-based
Liping Chen1, Xiaogang Chen, Weiqing Liu
1Institute of Mental Health, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, PR China.
Psychiatry Research
|November 14, 2012
Summary
Late-onset schizophrenia (LOS) patients show reduced white matter integrity, specifically in the left parietal lobe and right posterior cingulum, as measured by fractional anisotropy (FA) using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). These microstructural changes were not correlated with symptom severity or cognitive deficits in this study.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Psychiatry
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Reduced white matter integrity, indicated by fractional anisotropy (FA) changes, is observed in schizophrenia.
- Late-onset schizophrenia (LOS) is a distinct subtype, but its white matter microstructural characteristics remain under-investigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate fractional anisotropy (FA) alterations in the white matter of patients with late-onset schizophrenia (LOS).
- To explore the association between white matter integrity and psychotic symptoms, cognitive function, and clinical variables in LOS.
Main Methods:
- Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to measure FA in 20 LOS patients and 17 healthy controls.
- Voxelwise analysis in standard MNI space compared FA between groups.
- Psychotic symptoms (PANSS) and cognitive functions (WCST, Digit Span, Trail-making Test) were assessed.
Main Results:
- LOS patients exhibited significantly reduced FA in the left parietal lobe and right posterior cingulum compared to controls.
- Significant cognitive deficits were observed in the LOS group.
- No significant correlations were found between FA values and PANSS scores, cognitive test results, age, or medication dosage.
Conclusions:
- White matter microstructural abnormalities, evidenced by reduced FA, are present in late-onset schizophrenia (LOS).
- These observed white matter changes in LOS do not appear to directly correlate with the emergence or severity of psychotic symptoms or cognitive impairments in this cohort.
