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Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Analysis of Neurodegenerative Diseases
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White matter tract alterations in schizophrenia identified by DTI-based probabilistic tractography: a multisite
Young Tak Jo1, Sung Woo Joo2, Woohyeok Choi2
1Department of Psychiatry, Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Acta Neuropsychiatrica
|February 13, 2024
Summary
Schizophrenia involves brain dysconnectivity. This study used diffusion MRI and probabilistic tractography to identify altered white matter tracts in schizophrenia patients, finding significant differences linked to cognitive measures.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Psychiatry
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Schizophrenia is characterized by functional brain dysconnectivity and white matter disorganization.
- Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a key tool for studying white matter in schizophrenia.
- Previous studies often relied on region of interest (ROI) based approaches.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate white matter tract alterations in schizophrenia using probabilistic tractography.
- To compare white matter connectivity between schizophrenia patients and healthy controls.
- To explore the relationship between altered tracts and clinical/cognitive measures in schizophrenia.
Main Methods:
- Utilized four datasets comprising 189 schizophrenia patients and 213 healthy controls.
- Employed dMRIharmonisation for retrospective data harmonization and FSL for probabilistic tractography.
- Compared connectivity between regions of interest (ROIs) and correlated connection probabilities with symptoms and cognitive data.
Main Results:
- Identified 11 significantly different white matter tracts between schizophrenia patients and controls after Bonferroni correction.
- Observed that many altered tracts involve basal ganglia or cortico-striatal structures, supporting theories of striatal dysfunction.
- Found significant associations between these tracts and cognitive measures including language, executive function, and processing speed.
Conclusions:
- Probabilistic tractography on a large, harmonized diffusion MRI dataset enhanced statistical power for detecting white matter alterations in schizophrenia.
- Key identified tracts, including callosal and cortico-striatal streamlines, are consistent with existing literature on schizophrenia.
- Recommends further research using harmonized data focused on these specific brain regions.
