Brain anatomy of symptom stratification in schizophrenia: a voxel-based morphometry study

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Psychiatry
• Neurology

Background:

• Schizophrenia (SCZ) is associated with neuroanatomical alterations, but the biological signature of illness severity remains unclear.
• Previous Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) studies have explored this link, yet definitive conclusions are lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate structural brain abnormalities in SCZ patients.
• To identify potential grey matter deficits associated with schizophrenia illness severity.

Main Methods:

• Acquired 1.5T MRI data from 61 SCZ patients and 59 healthy controls (HC).
• Categorized SCZ patients into mild-to-moderate (34) and severe (27) illness subgroups for comparison with HC.

Main Results:

• SCZ patients exhibited reduced grey matter (GM) volumes in the left inferior and middle temporal gyrus compared to HC.
• Mild-to-moderate SCZ showed decreased GM in temporal regions; severe SCZ had reduced GM in the middle temporal gyrus and cerebellum bilaterally.
• No significant differences in GM volume were found between the mild-to-moderate and severe SCZ subgroups.

Conclusions:

• Confirms temporal lobe grey matter reductions in SCZ, implicating these regions in the disorder's pathophysiology.
• Identifies specific cerebellar GM reductions in severe SCZ, potentially useful for patient stratification.
• Findings may guide targeted therapeutic and rehabilitation interventions for SCZ patients based on clinical phenotype.