Thalamic Shape Abnormalities Differentially Relate to Cognitive Performance in Early-Onset and Adult-Onset...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Radiology

Background:

• Schizophrenia, particularly early-onset schizophrenia (EOS), may stem from exaggerated neurodevelopmental abnormalities.
• Thalamic structure alterations are implicated in the neurobiology of schizophrenia.
• Understanding thalamic differences between EOS and adult-onset schizophrenia (AOS) is crucial for elucidating disease mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare thalamic shape abnormalities between individuals with EOS and AOS.
• To investigate the relationship between unique thalamic shape differences and behavioral profiles in EOS and AOS.

Main Methods:

• Magnetic resonance T1-weighted imaging was used to collect brain data from EOS (n=28), AOS (n=33), and healthy control (n=60) subjects.
• Large deformation high-dimensional brain mapping was employed to generate 3D thalamic surfaces.
• Statistical analyses (general linear models, Pearson correlations) were used to compare groups and examine brain-behavior relationships.

Main Results:

• Both EOS and AOS groups exhibited significant thalamic shape abnormalities in anterior, lateral, and pulvinar regions compared to controls.
• EOS showed exacerbated abnormalities in posterior lateral, mediodorsal, and lateral geniculate thalamic regions relative to AOS.
• Thalamic abnormalities correlated with worse episodic memory in EOS, and worse working memory and executive functioning in AOS.

Conclusions:

• Thalamic abnormalities are a key feature in both early- and adult-onset schizophrenia, but are more pronounced in EOS.
• Exaggerated thalamic abnormalities in EOS may indicate disrupted neurodevelopment.
• Distinct brain-behavior profiles associated with thalamic differences highlight unique aspects of EOS and AOS.