Orbitofrontal sulcogyral morphology is a transdiagnostic indicator of brain dysfunction

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Neuroimaging

Background:

• Atypical sulcogyral patterns in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) are linked to schizophrenia risk and traits like anhedonia.
• Understanding OFC morphology may reveal shared risk factors across psychiatric disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether atypical OFC sulcogyral patterns are associated with multiple brain disorders.
• To compare OFC sulcogyral patterns across schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and control groups.

Main Methods:

• Structural brain images from 189 adult participants (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, ADHD, controls) were analyzed.
• Orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) sulcogyral pattern types were classified based on sulcal continuity.
• Chi-square analyses compared pattern frequencies between diagnostic groups and controls.

Main Results:

• Both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder groups showed significantly increased atypical OFC sulcogyral patterns in the left hemisphere compared to controls.
• The attention deficit hyperactivity disorder group did not significantly differ from controls in OFC sulcogyral patterns.
• Similar atypical pattern frequencies in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder suggest a transdiagnostic trait.

Conclusions:

• Atypical OFC sulcogyral patterns are associated with increased risk for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
• The OFC sulcogyral pattern may represent a transdiagnostic morphological indicator of psychiatric susceptibility.
• This finding suggests a novel neurobiological marker for multiple psychiatric diagnoses.