[The relationship between auditory verbal hallucination and gray matter volume and cortical thicknessin first-episode...

Objective: To analyze the relationship of gray matter volume and cortical thickness of auditory verbal hallucination in first-episode childhood-onset schizophrenia(COS). Methods: Sixty cases of first-episode childhood-onset schizophrenia who were treated in the inpatient department of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University from October 2020 to February 2024 were collected(case group).Thirty-two healthy students from a primary and secondary school in Xinxiang city were the control group. According to the score of "auditory hallucination" on the positive symptoms scale (SAPS), the patients were divided into the non-auditory hallucination group(nAVH) (n=16, score 0-1) and the auditory hallucination group (AVH)(n=38, score 2-5). The severity of psychiatric symptoms of patients was evaluated using Positive And Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Resting-state MRI data was scanned for all subjects. REST software and FreeSurfer software was used for covariance analysis of gray matter volume and cortical thickness.Age and gender as covariates. Results: Finally, 54 case groups were included, including 16 cases in the non-auditory hallucination group, there were 8 males and 8 females, with an age of (12.9±1.7) years; in the auditory hallucination group, there were 16 males and 22 females, with an age of (13.1±1.5) years.There were Control group of 27 cases, 12 males, 15 females, with an age of (12.2±1.5) years. In the covariance analysis of gray matter volume showed that the brain regions with differences were mainly located in the left parahippocampal gyrus, cingulate gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, occipital lobe, precentral gyrus, inferior parietal gyrus; Right superior frontal gyrus, lingual gyrus, fusiform gyrus, transverse temporal gyrus, inferior temporal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus(P<0.05, FDR correction).Post hoc tests found that compared with the control group, the cerebral areas with decreased gray matter volume in the AVH group were mainly located in the left superior temporal gyrus, hippocampus, cingulate gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, insula, inferior frontal gyrus;right superior temporal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, supramargal gyrus and transverse temporal gyrus(P<0.05, FDR correction). In the covariance analysis of Cortical Thickness showed that the brain regions with differences were mainly located in the left inferior parietal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, anterior central gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, transverse temporal gyrus, Lateral orbitofrontal cortex, insular lobe, anterior cingutate, precuneus, right superior temporal gyrus, cuneiform gyrus, middle frontal gyrus(P<0.05, FDR correction).Post hoc tests found that compared with the control group, the cerebral areas with decreased cortical thickness in the the left postcentral gyrus, transverse temporal gyrus, lateral orbitofrontal cortex, superior frontal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, insular lobe; right cuneiform gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus.The increased cortical thickness was found in the right anterior cingulate(P<0.05,FDR corrected). the nAVH group showed decreased cortical thickness areas mainly located in the left inferior temporal gyrus, inferior parietal gyrus, lateral orbitofrontal cortex, superior frontal gyrus, postcentral gyrus; right cuneiform gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, precentral gyrus. The rest showed no obvious abnormality, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05, FDR corrected). Conclusions: The decreased gray matter volume and cortical thickness is found in multiple brain regions in with or without auditory verbal hallucination in first-episode childhood-onset schizophrenia. Consequently, abnormal gray matter structure may be associated with the pathogenesis of childhood schizophrenia.The abnormal structure of the left and right superior temporal grrus, right supramarginal gyrus, right anterior cingulate cortex may be related to the mechanism of auditory hallucination.