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High-resolution In Vivo Manual Segmentation Protocol for Human Hippocampal Subfields Using 3T Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Published on: November 10, 2015
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Subfield-specific hippocampal microstructural alterations in schizophrenia: A high-resolution DTI study.
Kunxuan Wang1, Yuan Sun2, Chao Xia1
1Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
Schizophrenia Research
|October 24, 2025
Summary
Schizophrenia patients show significant hippocampal microstructural changes, particularly in CA2/3, impacting cognitive function. Diffusion tensor imaging reveals these alterations may precede volume loss, offering insights into disease progression.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Hippocampal subfield alterations in schizophrenia (SCZ) are not well understood.
- This study focuses on microstructural changes in SCZ using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate subfield-specific microstructural integrity of the hippocampus in SCZ patients.
- To correlate these microstructural changes with clinical features.
Main Methods:
- Used high-resolution 3.0T MRI and DTI (0.9-mm isotropic resolution) on 46 SCZ patients and 55 controls.
- Quantified hippocampal subfield volumes and microstructural integrity (FA, MD, AD, RD).
- Compared DTI metrics and volumes, correlating them with clinical data.
Main Results:
- Significant microstructural changes found in 9 of 16 hippocampal subfields in SCZ patients.
- Predominant pattern of increased mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD), with heterogeneous fractional anisotropy (FA).
- CA2/3 subfield showed significant diffusivity alterations correlated with semantic fluency deficits.
Conclusions:
- Hippocampal microstructural compromise in SCZ is subfield-specific and detectable by DTI.
- DTI parameters are more sensitive to early changes than volumetric measures.
- Hippocampal microstructural alterations, especially in CA2/3, are linked to cognitive deficits in SCZ.
