Brain gray matter network organization in psychotic disorders

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Brain Imaging

Background:

• Abnormal brain networks are implicated in schizophrenia.
• Characterization across psychotic disorders and unaffected relatives needs clarification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate neuroanatomic network differences in patients with psychotic disorders and their nonpsychotic relatives.
• To identify disease-specific alterations and potential familial risk markers.

Main Methods:

• Structural MRI and graph theory analysis were used to compare whole-brain neuroanatomic organization.
• Participants included probands with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, psychotic bipolar disorder, their relatives, and healthy controls.

Main Results:

• Psychotic probands showed decreased nodal efficiency in superior temporal regions, associated with positive symptoms.
• Schizophrenia patients specifically exhibited reduced nodal efficiency in bilateral superior temporal regions.
• Nonpsychotic relatives displayed altered nodal centrality in prefrontal, subcortical, cingulate, and thalamic regions.

Conclusions:

• Disruptions in superior temporal lobe network associations are a disease-related trait in psychotic disorders.
• Network alterations in relatives may reflect familial risk for these illnesses.