[Internal capsule integrity and its sex-related structural differences in early-onset schizophrenia - diffusion...

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Schizophrenia Research
• Diffusion Tensor Imaging

Background:

• Schizophrenia is associated with reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) in temporal and frontal lobes.
• Abnormalities in connecting neural fibers are frequently observed in schizophrenia.
• The role of the internal capsule in early onset schizophrenia (EOS) requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate differences in FA within the internal capsule between EOS patients and healthy controls.
• To explore sex as a factor influencing pathological changes in the internal capsule in EOS.
• To identify specific white matter tracts affected in early stages of schizophrenia.

Main Methods:

• Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) was used to study 30 EOS patients and 30 healthy controls.
• Fractional Anisotropy (FA) measures were obtained within the internal capsules using selected Regions of Interest (ROIs).
• One-way ANOVA was employed for statistical analysis with a significance level of p<0.05.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in FA were observed in the right anterior limb of the internal capsule (ALIC) between EOS patients and controls, with lower FA in EOS.
• Subgroup analysis revealed statistically significant FA differences in the right ALIC only within the female participants.
• No statistically significant FA differences were found between EOS and control groups within the male subgroups.

Conclusions:

• Statistically significant differences in white matter (WM) diffusivity, specifically FA in the right ALIC, were identified between EOS subjects (women only) and the control group.
• These findings suggest a potential involvement of internal capsule structures in the development of early onset schizophrenia.
• Sex-specific alterations in white matter integrity may play a role in the pathophysiology of EOS.