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White Matter Measures and Cognition in Schizophrenia
Cemre Erkol1, Talia Cohen1, Virginie-Anne Chouinard1,2
1Psychotic Disorders Division, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, United States.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
|August 9, 2020
Summary
White matter integrity, assessed via magnetization transfer ratio (MTR), links to cognitive function in healthy individuals. This association is disrupted in schizophrenia patients, suggesting a breakdown in white matter and cognition relationship.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Radiology
Background:
- Schizophrenia is associated with white matter (WM) abnormalities, but the specific axonal or myelin contributions remain unclear.
- The relationship between WM integrity and cognitive deficits in schizophrenia requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between white matter (WM) integrity, specifically myelin and axon compartments, and cognitive function in schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
- To explore whether the association between WM integrity and cognition differs between individuals with schizophrenia and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- Utilized 4 Tesla MRI to collect magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) and diffusion tensor spectroscopy (DTS) data from prefrontal white matter in 39 schizophrenia patients and 37 healthy controls.
- Assessed cognitive function using the Matrics Composite Cognitive Battery (MCCB) and Stroop test.
- Analyzed correlations between WM measures (MTR, DTS) and cognitive scores.
Main Results:
- Schizophrenia patients exhibited poorer performance on MCCB and Stroop tests compared to controls.
- Magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) was correlated with MCCB and Stroop scores in healthy individuals (p < 0.05).
- This correlation between MTR and cognitive performance was not observed in patients with schizophrenia.
Conclusions:
- White matter integrity is linked to cognitive function in healthy individuals.
- The relationship between white matter integrity and cognitive function appears to be altered or lost in schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
- These exploratory findings highlight potential differences in WM-cognition relationships between schizophrenia patients and controls.
Keywords:
MTR = magnetization transfer ratioNAA (N-acetyl aspartate)StroopcognitiondiffusionschizophreniaMore Related Videos
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