Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 21, 2026
12:09
Network Analysis of the Default Mode Network Using Functional Connectivity MRI in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy
Published on: August 5, 2014
18.5K
Abnormal synchronization of functional and structural networks in schizophrenia
Jiajia Zhu1, Yinfeng Qian1, Biao Zhang1
1Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No. 218, Jixi Road, Shushan District, Hefei, 230022, China.
Brain Imaging and Behavior
|August 4, 2019
Summary
Schizophrenia is linked to altered brain network synchronization. This study found reduced functional synchronizability and a trend towards excessive structural synchronizability in patients, offering new biological insights into the disorder.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Network Science
Background:
- Neural synchrony is crucial for brain information processing.
- Schizophrenia is hypothesized to involve impaired neural synchrony.
- Previous studies focused on temporal coordination, not network properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate network synchronization alterations in schizophrenia.
- To analyze functional and structural brain networks.
- To utilize public resting-state fMRI and DTI data.
Main Methods:
- Graph theoretical approaches were used to analyze whole-brain networks.
- Resting-state fMRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data from 96 schizophrenia patients and 120 controls were analyzed.
- Inter-group differences in network synchronizability were investigated.
Main Results:
- Schizophrenia patients showed decreased functional network synchronizability (increased eigenratio).
- A trend towards excessive structural network synchronizability (decreased eigenratio) was observed in patients.
- Excessive structural synchronizability correlated with more severe negative symptoms.
Conclusions:
- Schizophrenia involves disruptions in neural synchrony from a network perspective.
- Findings provide novel biological evidence for altered network properties in schizophrenia.
- This study highlights the importance of network analysis in understanding schizophrenia pathophysiology.
Related Concept Videos
01:56Structural Protein Function
29.8K
Structural proteins are a category of proteins responsible for functions ranging from cell shape and movement to providing support to major structures such as bones, cartilage, hair, and muscles. This group includes proteins such as collagen, actin, myosin, and keratin.
Collagen, the most abundant protein in mammals, is found throughout the body. In connective tissue, such as skin, ligaments, and tendons, it provides tensile strength and elasticity. In bones and teeth, it mineralizes to...
Collagen, the most abundant protein in mammals, is found throughout the body. In connective tissue, such as skin, ligaments, and tendons, it provides tensile strength and elasticity. In bones and teeth, it mineralizes to...
29.8K
01:56Structural Protein Function
3.2K
3.2K
01:17Schizophrenia
817
Schizophrenia, a term introduced by Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler in 1911, describes a severe psychological disorder marked by profound disruptions in attention, thought processes, language, emotion, and interpersonal relationships. The core feature of schizophrenia is psychosis — a state characterized by a fundamental detachment from reality. This disconnection manifests through distorted logic, impaired perception, and atypical behavior, severely affecting the lives of those...
817
01:25Network Function of a Circuit
660
Frequency response analysis in electrical circuits provides vital insights into a circuit's behavior as the frequency of the input signal changes. The transfer function, a mathematical tool, is instrumental in understanding this behavior. It defines the relationship between phasor output and input and comes in four types: voltage gain, current gain, transfer impedance, and transfer admittance. The critical components of the transfer function are the poles and zeros.
660
01:29Biological Causes of Schizophrenia
531
Schizophrenia, a severe psychiatric disorder, arises from a complex interplay of biological factors, including genetic predisposition, structural brain abnormalities, neurotransmitter dysregulation, and developmental irregularities. These factors collectively contribute to the onset and progression of the disorder, which typically manifests in late adolescence or early adulthood.
Genetic Factors in Schizophrenia
The genetic basis of schizophrenia is strongly supported by family and twin...
Genetic Factors in Schizophrenia
The genetic basis of schizophrenia is strongly supported by family and twin...
531
01:58Fruit Development, Structure, and Function
25.0K
Fruits form from a mature flower ovary. As seeds develop from the ovules contained within, the ovary wall undergoes a series of complex changes to form fruit. In some fruits, such as soybeans, the ovary wall dries; in other fruits, such as grapes, it remains fleshy. In some cases, organs other than the ovary contribute to fruit formation; such fruits are called accessory fruits.
25.0K