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White matter maturation during 12 months in individuals at ultra-high-risk for psychosis

K Krakauer1,2,3, M Nordentoft1,2, B Y Glenthøj2,4

  • 1Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hellerup, Denmark.

Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
|November 17, 2017
PubMed

Insights

This study found that individuals at ultra-high-risk for psychosis show altered white matter maturation compared to healthy controls, potentially indicating early neurodevelopmental changes. These white matter (WM) changes correlated with negative symptoms.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry
  • Neuroimaging

Background:

  • The neurodevelopmental hypothesis of psychosis posits that disrupted white matter (WM) maturation contributes to disease onset.
  • Investigating WM changes in individuals at ultra-high-risk (UHR) for psychosis is crucial for understanding early disease mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To longitudinally investigate WM connectivity and compare WM changes between UHR individuals and healthy controls (HCs).
  • To explore the relationship between WM changes, age, and clinical outcomes in UHR individuals.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study design with 30 UHR individuals and 23 HCs over 12 months.
  • MR diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) were used to assess WM integrity.
  • Clinical assessments included positive and negative symptoms and level of functioning.

Main Results:

  • Both UHR individuals and HCs showed significant increases in fractional anisotropy (FA), indicating WM maturation.
  • UHR individuals exhibited FA increases primarily in the left superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), while HCs showed increases in the left uncinate fasciculus.
  • FA changes in UHR individuals positively correlated with age and negatively with changes in negative symptoms.

Conclusions:

  • Findings suggest potentially disturbed WM maturation in UHR individuals, aligning with the posterior-to-frontal maturation gradient.
  • WM changes, particularly in the SLF, may be an early indicator of neurodevelopmental alterations in psychosis risk.
  • The correlation between FA changes and negative symptoms warrants further investigation in psychosis development.
Abstract

Keywords:
neuroimagingpsychopathologypsychosesschizophrenia

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