Callosal and subcortical white matter alterations in schizophrenia: A diffusion tensor imaging study at multiple...

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) detects in vivo white matter (WM) micro-structural changes.
• Previous DTI studies on schizophrenia show inconsistent findings regarding WM abnormalities.
• A large-scale, multi-level analysis is needed for robust findings in schizophrenia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate white matter (WM) disruption in schizophrenia using a multi-level DTI analysis.
• To identify reliable biomarkers for chronic schizophrenia.
• To explore anatomical and network-level alterations in the brains of schizophrenia patients.

Main Methods:

• Utilized diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) on 142 schizophrenia patients and 163 healthy controls.
• Performed voxel-wise fractional anisotropy (FA) analysis.
• Assessed structural connectivity and network topological properties (hub, efficiency, small-worldness, strength) using deterministic tractography and the Human Brainnetome Atlas.

Main Results:

• Identified significant callosal and subcortical WM alterations in schizophrenia patients at both voxel and connectivity levels.
• Found associations between reduced FA values and longer illness duration in patients.
• Observed weaker global network integration and decreased functionality in brain network hubs in schizophrenia patients compared to controls.

Conclusions:

• Callosal and subcortical white matter (WM) disruptions are significant findings in schizophrenia.
• These WM alterations are associated with illness duration and network integration deficits.
• DTI-derived callosal and subcortical WM disruptions serve as potential biomarkers for chronic schizophrenia.