Voxel-based morphometry results in first-episode schizophrenia: a comparison of publicly available software packages

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Psychiatric Neuroscience

Background:

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies show mixed results regarding regional grey matter (GM) volume variations in schizophrenia.
• Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) is a common neuroimaging technique used to analyze these structural differences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if differing software packages contribute to inconsistent VBM findings in first-episode schizophrenia (FESZ).
• To compare VBM results obtained using FMRIB Software Library (FSL) and Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM).

Main Methods:

• T1 MRI images from 86 FESZ patients and 86 healthy controls (HCs) were analyzed.
• VBM analysis was performed using FSL 5.0 and SPM8 with default parameters.
• Correlations between Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) scores and GM volume were examined.

Main Results:

• FSL-VBM indicated widespread GM reductions in FESZ patients compared to HCs.
• SPM-VBM revealed localized GM increases in FESZ patients, with both software showing increased cerebellar GM volume.
• Significant correlations between PANSS scores and GM volume were primarily observed in frontal regions.

Conclusions:

• Software choice significantly impacts VBM findings in schizophrenia research, leading to disparate results.
• Differences in GM segmentation, registration algorithms, and statistical methods may explain these discrepancies.
• Standardization of VBM analysis pipelines is crucial for reliable schizophrenia neuroimaging research.