Saturated Fatty Acids and White Matter Microstructure in Individuals With At-risk Mental State.

Background And Hypothesis: Excessive saturated or deficient unsaturated fatty acids and white matter microstructural abnormalities are observed before the psychosis onset. Whereas fatty acids variations are implicated in white matter pathology, conventional Diffusion Tensor Imaging has limitations in disentangling their biological relevance. Free-water imaging provides improved biological specificity to white matter microstructure, such as fractional volume of free-water (FW) and tissue-specific fractional anisotropy (FAt).

Increased structural covariance of cortical measures in individuals with an at-risk mental state.

An anomalous pattern of structural covariance has been reported in schizophrenia, which has been suggested to represent connectome changes during brain maturation and neuroprogressive processes. It remains unclear whether similar differences exist in a clinical high-risk state for psychosis, and if they are associated with a prodromal phenotype and/or later psychosis onset. This multicenter magnetic resonance imaging study cross-sectionally examined structural covariance in a large at-risk mental state (ARMS) sample with different outcomes.

Increased brain gyrification and cortical thinning in winter-born patients with schizophrenia spectrum.

Introduction: The findings of epidemiological studies suggest that a relationship exists between the risk of schizophrenia and winter births in the Northern Hemisphere, which may affect the process of fetal neurodevelopment. However, it remains unclear whether birth seasons are associated with the brain morphological characteristics of patients within the schizophrenia spectrum.

Methods: The present magnetic resonance imaging study using FreeSurfer software examined the effects of birth seasons (i.

The relationship between gray/white matter contrast and cognitive performance in first-episode schizophrenia.

Previous postmortem brain studies have revealed disturbed myelination in the intracortical regions in patients with schizophrenia, possibly reflecting anomalous brain maturational processes. However, it currently remains unclear whether this anomalous myelination is already present in early illness stages and/or progresses during the course of the illness. In this magnetic resonance imaging study, we examined gray/white matter contrast (GWC) as a potential marker of intracortical myelination in 63 first-episode schizophrenia (FESz) patients and 77 healthy controls (HC).

Birth season and gross brain morphology associated with early neurodevelopment in schizophrenia spectrum patients and healthy subjects.

This MRI study examined the effects of birth seasons on gross brain characteristics, such as the prevalence/size of midline brain structures (cavum septi pellucidi and adhesio interthalamica), orbitofrontal surface morphology, and insular gross anatomy, in 135 patients with schizophrenia, 47 with schizotypal disorder, and 88 healthy controls. Birth seasons only affected the insular anatomy. Summer-born subjects (N = 110) were characterized by more developed left insular gyri than winter-born subjects; however, this effect had no diagnostic specificity.

Gross anatomical variations of the insular cortex in first-episode schizophrenia.

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have revealed gray matter reductions in the insular cortex of schizophrenia patients. Despite large inter-individual anatomical variations in the insular gyri of human brains, the gross anatomical features of the insular cortex and their relationships with clinical characteristics remain largely unknown in schizophrenia.

Methods: The present MRI study investigated variations in the insular gross anatomy (i.

Anatomical variations in the insular cortex in individuals at a clinical high-risk state for psychosis and patients with schizophrenia.

Introduction: Since the number of insular gyri is higher in schizophrenia patients, it has potential as a marker of early neurodevelopmental deviations. However, it currently remains unknown whether the features of the insular gross anatomy are similar between schizophrenia patients and individuals at risk of psychosis. Furthermore, the relationship between anatomical variations in the insular cortex and cognitive function has not yet been clarified.

Resting state hyperconnectivity of the default mode network in schizophrenia and clinical high-risk state for psychosis.

Disrupted functional connectivity (FC) of the default mode network (DMN) may have a pathophysiological role in schizophrenia. However, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of the DMN in schizophrenia patients has shown inconsistent results. It also remains unclear whether individuals with at-risk mental state (ARMS) have an altered DMN connectivity and whether it is related to clinical characteristics.

Gross anatomical features of the insular cortex in schizophrenia and schizotypal personality disorder: Potential relationships with vulnerability, illness stages, and clinical subtypes.

Introduction: Patients with schizophrenia have a higher number of insular gyri; however, it currently remains unclear whether the brain characteristics of patients with schizotypal personality disorder (SPD), a mild form of schizophrenia, are similar. It is also unknown whether insular gross anatomical features are associated with the illness stages and clinical subtypes of schizophrenia.

Materials And Methods: This magnetic resonance imaging study examined gross anatomical variations in the insular cortex of 133 patients with schizophrenia, 47 with SPD, and 88 healthy controls.

Increased brain gyrification and subsequent relapse in patients with first-episode schizophrenia.

Most schizophrenia patients experience psychotic relapses, which may compromise long-term outcome. However, it is difficult to objectively assess the actual risk of relapse for each patient as the biological changes underlying relapse remain unknown. The present study used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to investigate the relationship between brain gyrification pattern and subsequent relapse in patients with first-episode schizophrenia.

Different Heschl's Gyrus Duplication Patterns in Deficit and Non-deficit Subtypes of Schizophrenia.

Deficit syndrome schizophrenia is a characteristic subtype defined by persistent negative symptoms and poor functional outcomes; however, the biological mechanisms underlying this specific subtype have not yet been elucidated in detail. The present magnetic resonance imaging study examined the prevalence of duplicated Heschl's gyrus (HG), a potential neurodevelopmental marker, in schizophrenia patients with ( = 38) and without ( = 37) the deficit syndrome. The prevalence of the HG duplication pattern bilaterally was higher in the whole schizophrenia group than in 59 matched healthy controls.

Longitudinal Changes in Brain Gyrification in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders.

Previous magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies reported increased brain gyrification in schizophrenia and schizotypal disorder, a prototypic disorder within the schizophrenia spectrum. This may reflect deviations in early neurodevelopment; however, it currently remains unclear whether the gyrification pattern longitudinally changes over the course of the schizophrenia spectrum. The present MRI study using FreeSurfer compared longitudinal changes (mean inter-scan interval of 2.

Altered Heschl's gyrus duplication pattern in first-episode schizophrenia.

Background: Reduced gray matter volumes in the superior temporal gyrus and its subregions, such as Heschl's gyrus (HG) and the planum temporale (PT), have been reported in schizophrenia (Sz). However, it remains unclear whether patients exhibit an altered sulcogyral pattern on the superior temporal plane.

Methods: This magnetic resonance imaging study examined the distribution of HG duplication patterns [i.

Heschl's Gyrus Duplication Pattern in Individuals at Risk of Developing Psychosis and Patients With Schizophrenia.

An increased prevalence of duplicated Heschl's gyrus (HG), which may reflect an early neurodevelopmental pathology, has been reported in schizophrenia (Sz). However, it currently remains unclear whether individuals at risk of psychosis exhibit similar brain morphological characteristics. This magnetic resonance imaging study investigated the distribution of HG gyrification patterns [i.

Reduced Hippocampal Subfield Volume in Schizophrenia and Clinical High-Risk State for Psychosis.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies in schizophrenia demonstrated volume reduction in hippocampal subfields divided on the basis of specific cytoarchitecture and function. However, it remains unclear whether this abnormality exists prior to the onset of psychosis and differs across illness stages. MRI (3 T) scans were obtained from 77 patients with schizophrenia, including 24 recent-onset and 40 chronic patients, 51 individuals with an at-risk mental state (ARMS) (of whom 5 subsequently developed psychosis within the follow-up period), and 87 healthy controls.

Anomalous brain gyrification patterns in major psychiatric disorders: a systematic review and transdiagnostic integration.

Anomalous patterns of brain gyrification have been reported in major psychiatric disorders, presumably reflecting their neurodevelopmental pathology. However, previous reports presented conflicting results of patients having hyper-, hypo-, or normal gyrification patterns and lacking in transdiagnostic consideration. In this article, we systematically review previous magnetic resonance imaging studies of brain gyrification in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and autism spectrum disorder at varying illness stages, highlighting the gyral pattern trajectory for each disorder.

Increased Heschl's Gyrus Duplication in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: A Cross-Sectional MRI Study.

Duplicated Heschl's gyrus (HG) is prevalent in patients with schizophrenia and may reflect early neurodevelopmental anomalies. However, it currently remains unclear whether patients with schizotypal disorder, a prototypic disorder within the schizophrenia spectrum, exhibit a similar HG gyrification pattern. In this magnetic resonance imaging study, HG gyrification patterns were examined in 47 patients with schizotypal disorder, 111 with schizophrenia, and 88 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects.

Structural MRI Study of the Planum Temporale in Individuals With an At-Risk Mental State Using Labeled Cortical Distance Mapping.

Recent studies have demonstrated brain structural changes that predate or accompany the onset of frank psychosis, such as schizophrenia, among individuals with an at-risk mental state (ARMS). The planum temporale (PT) is a brain region involved in language processing. In schizophrenia patients, gray matter volume reduction and lack of normal asymmetry (left > right) of PT have repeatedly been reported.

From population to neuron: exploring common mediators for metabolic problems and mental illnesses.

Major mental illnesses such as schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BP) frequently accompany metabolic conditions, but their relationship is still unclear, in particular at the mechanistic level. We implemented an approach of "from population to neuron", combining population-based epidemiological analysis with neurobiological experiments using cell and animal models based on a hypothesis built from the epidemiological study. We characterized high-quality population data, olfactory neuronal cells biopsied from patients with SZ or BP, and healthy subjects, as well as mice genetically modified for insulin signaling.