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Altered Functional Connectivity Strength in Distinct Brain Networks of Children With Early-Onset Schizophrenia

Xiao Hu1,2, Song Wang3, Hui Zhou1,2

  • 1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.

Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging : JMRI
|March 18, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) in children shows disrupted brain network connectivity. Abnormal functional connectivity in brain hubs correlates with clinical symptoms, offering insights into EOS neuropathology.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Schizophrenia is increasingly viewed as a disorder of brain network connectivity, or connectome, linked to neurodevelopmental processes.
  • Early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) offers a unique window to study neuropathology at its nascent stages, minimizing confounding factors associated with later disease onset.
  • However, observed brain network dysfunctions in schizophrenia lack consistent findings, necessitating further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify aberrant functional connectivity (FC) patterns in patients with early-onset schizophrenia (EOS).
  • To explore the relationship between identified FC abnormalities and clinical symptoms in EOS.
  • To elucidate the neuroimaging phenotypes associated with EOS.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective, cross-sectional study involving 44 EOS patients (mean age 14.3 years) and 49 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HC).
  • Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) using 3-T gradient-echo echo-planar imaging was employed to assess functional connectivity strength (FCS).
  • Intelligence quotient (IQ) was measured using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV), and clinical symptoms were assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).

Main Results:

  • EOS patients exhibited significantly lower total IQ scores compared to HC.
  • Increased FCS was observed in the bilateral precuneus, left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, left thalamus, and left parahippocampus in EOS patients.
  • Decreased FCS was noted in the right cerebellum posterior lobe and right superior temporal gyrus; a positive correlation was found between PANSS total scores and FCS in the left parahippocampus (r=0.45).

Conclusions:

  • Disrupted functional connectivity in key brain hubs characterizes early-onset schizophrenia.
  • These findings highlight widespread abnormalities within brain networks in EOS patients.
  • The study contributes to understanding the neuroimaging phenotypes of EOS and their association with clinical presentation.
Abstract

Keywords:
default mode networkearly-onset schizophreniafunctional connectivity strengthparahippocampal gyrusresting-state fMRI

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