Age-related deficits in fronto-temporal connections in schizophrenia: A diffusion tensor imaging study

SCHIZOPHRENIA RESEARCH

卷:102

Article

Rosenberger, Gudrun^1,6  Kubicki, Marek^1,2  Nestor, Paul G.²  Connor, Erin¹  Bushell, Georgia B.¹  Markant, Douglas¹  Niznikiewicz, Margaret²  Westin, Carl-Fredrik³  Kikinis, Ron⁴  Saykin, Andrew J.⁵  McCarley, Robert W.²  Shenton, Martha E.^1,2,4 

[1] Harvard Univ, Sch Med, Brigham & Womens Hosp, Dept Psychiat & Radiol,Psychiat Neuroimaging Lab, Boston, MA 02215 USA

[2] Harvard Univ, Sch Med, Dept Psychiat,Lab Neurosci, Boston VA Healthcare Syst Brockton Div,Clin Neuro, Brockton, MA 02401 USA

[3] Harvard Univ, Brigham & Womens Hosp, Sch Med, Dept Radiol,Lab Math Imaging, Boston, MA 02115 USA

[4] Harvard Univ, Brigham & Womens Hosp, Sch Med, Dept Radiol,Surg Planning Lab, Boston, MA 02115 USA

[5] Indiana Univ, Sch Med, Dept Radiol, Ctr Neuroimaging, Indianapolis, IN 46202 USA

[6] Innsbruck Med Univ, Dept Gen Psychiat, Innsbruck, Austria

关键词: white matter;    DTI;    tractography;    fronto-temporal connections;    age effects;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.schres.2008.04.019

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Objective: Impairment of white matter connecting frontal and temporal cortices has been reported in schizophrenia. Yet, not much is known about the effects of age on fibers connecting these brain regions. Using diffusion tensor imaging tractography, we investigated the relationship between age and fiber integrity in patients with schizophrenia vs. healthy adults. Methods: DTI tractography was used to create 3D reconstructions of the cingulum, uncinate and inferior occipito-frontal fasciculi in 27 patients with schizophrenia and 34 healthy volunteers (23-56 years of age, group-matched on age). Fractional anisotropy (FA), describing fiber integrity, was then calculated along the entire length of these tracts, and correlated with subjects' age. Results: Patients revealed a significant decline in FA with age in both the cingulum and uncinate, but not in the inferior occipitofrontal fasciculi. No statistically significant correlations were found in these fiber bundles in controls. Conclusions: These results suggest an age-associated reduction of frontal-temporal connectivity in schizophrenia, but not in healthy controls. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

【 授权许可】

Free