Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 7, 2025
09:57
How to Measure Cortical Folding from MR Images: a Step-by-Step Tutorial to Compute Local Gyrification Index
Published on: January 2, 2012
28.1K
Longitudinal Changes in Brain Gyrification in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders
Tien Viet Pham1,2, Daiki Sasabayashi1,2, Tsutomu Takahashi1,2
1Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan.
Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience
|January 10, 2022
Summary
Brain gyrification declines in schizophrenia but increases in schizotypal disorder and controls over time. This local gyrification index (LGI) change in schizophrenia correlates with symptom severity and medication.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Radiology
Background:
- Previous magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies indicate altered brain gyrification in schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
- Longitudinal changes in gyrification across the schizophrenia spectrum remain largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate longitudinal changes in local gyrification index (LGI) across the cortex in first-episode schizophrenia, schizotypal disorder, and healthy controls.
- To explore the relationship between LGI changes, clinical symptoms, and medication in these groups.
Main Methods:
- Used FreeSurfer software to analyze longitudinal MRI scans (mean interval 2.7 years) from 23 schizophrenia patients, 14 schizotypal disorder patients, and 39 healthy controls.
- Compared changes in LGI over time between the groups and correlated these changes with symptom severity and cumulative medication dosage.
Main Results:
- The schizophrenia group showed a progressive decline in LGI, particularly in fronto-temporal regions.
- LGI increased over time in the schizotypal and control groups.
- In schizophrenia, reduced LGI over time in specific regions correlated with less improvement in negative symptoms.
- Medication dosage negatively correlated with LGI increase in schizotypal disorder but not in schizophrenia.
Conclusions:
- Longitudinal LGI patterns in the schizophrenia spectrum suggest both early neurodevelopmental vulnerability and active pathology in early schizophrenia.
- Gyrification changes may serve as a biomarker for disease progression and treatment response in schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Biological Causes of Schizophrenia
177
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...
177
01:29Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia
221
Schizophrenia, a complex psychiatric disorder, has been historically misunderstood. Early psychological theories attributed its origins to childhood trauma and unresponsive parenting. However, contemporary research largely rejects these notions, favoring the vulnerability-stress hypothesis. This model proposes that individuals with a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia may develop the disorder following exposure to significant environmental stressors. Notably, studies on high-risk...
221
01:27Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
1.1K
Schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disorder whose origins are rooted in complex genetic components. Despite our burgeoning understanding, the pathophysiology of this disorder remains incompletely deciphered.
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within...
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within...
1.1K
01:17Schizophrenia
281
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...
281
01:30Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia
138
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia indicate a reduction or absence of typical behaviors and emotional responses found in healthy individuals, while positive symptoms reflect an excess or distortion of normal functioning.
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia manifest as deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning, profoundly impacting daily life. Individuals with schizophrenia often display a flat affect, characterized by a near-total absence of emotional expression,...
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia manifest as deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning, profoundly impacting daily life. Individuals with schizophrenia often display a flat affect, characterized by a near-total absence of emotional expression,...
138