Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 7, 2026
Evaluation of Hemisphere Lateralization with Bilateral Local Field Potential Recording in Secondary Motor Cortex of Mice
Published on: July 31, 2019
Hemispheric lateralization abnormalities of the white matter microstructure in patients with schizophrenia and
New Fei Ho1, Zhengjun Li1, Fang Ji1
1From the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience and the Behavioral Disorders Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore (Ho, Li, Ji, Tng, Zhou); the Research Division, Institute of Mental Health/Woodbridge Hospital, Singapore (Ho, Wang, Kuswanto, Sum, Sim); the Department of Neuroradiology, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore (Sitoh); and the Clinical Imaging Research Centre, The Agency for Science, Technology and Research-National University of Singapore, Singapore (Zhou).
Background:
Hemispheric lateralization of the brain occurs during development and underpins specialized functions. It is posited that aberrant neurodevelopment leads to abnormal brain lateralization in individuals with psychotic illnesses. Here, we sought to examine whether white matter hemispheric lateralization is abnormal in individuals with the psychotic spectrum disorders of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Methods:
We examined the white matter microstructure lateralization in patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder with psychotic features and healthy controls by measuring the laterality indices of fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD). We also correlated the laterality indices with clinical measures.
Results:
We included 150 patients with schizophrenia, 35 with bipolar disorder and 77 healthy controls in our analyses. Shared FA lateralization abnormalities in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder were found in the cerebral peduncle and posterior limb of internal capsule, with more extensive abnormalities in patients with bipolar disorder than in those with schizophrenia. The shared MD lateralization abnormalities were more widespread, extending to the subcortical, frontal-occipital, limbic and callosal tracts, with patients with bipolar disorder showing greater abnormalities than patients with schizophrenia. While lateralization was decreased in patients with schizophrenia, the lateralization was reversed in those with bipolar disorder, underpinned by the more pronounced microstructural abnormalities in the right hemisphere. The loss of FA lateralization in patients with schizophrenia was associated with lower quality of life and psychosocial functioning.
Limitations:
Owing to the cross-sectional study design, we cannot confirm whether the lateralization abnormalities are neurodevelopmental or a consequence of psychosis onset or chronicity.
Conclusion:
Shared and distinct white matter lateralization abnormalities were found in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. In distinct regions of abnormalities, the lateralization was attenuated in patients with schizophrenia and reversed in those with bipolar disorder.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Lateralization
01:29Biological Causes of Schizophrenia
Genetic Factors in Schizophrenia
The genetic basis of schizophrenia is strongly supported by family and twin...
01:05Cerebral Hemispheres
01:30Bipolar Disorder
01:27Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within...
01:30Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia manifest as deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning, profoundly impacting daily life. Individuals with schizophrenia often display a flat affect, characterized by a near-total absence of emotional expression,...