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Hwang, Kim, Choi, Lee, and Jeong: Subcortical Deformities in Schizophrenic Patients and Unaffected Siblings
Original Article
Journal of the Korean Neuropsychiatric Association

Journal of the Korean Neuropsychiatric Association 2012; 51(5): 241-248.

Published online: 30 September 2012

DOI: https://doi.org/10.0000/jkna.2012.51.5.241

Subcortical Deformities in Schizophrenic Patients and Unaffected Siblings

Seung Ha Hwang, MD1, Ji-Woong Kim, MD, PhD2, Jeewook Choi, MD, PhD3, Sun-Woo Lee, MD, PhD4, Bumseok Jeong, MD, PhD5

1Department of Psychiatry, Eulji University College of Medicine, Eulji University Hospital, Daejeon, Korea.

2Department of Psychiatry, Konyang University College of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea.

3Department of Psychiatry, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Daejeon St. Mary's Hospital, Daejeon, Korea.

4Department of Psychiatry, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea.

5Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Korea.

Address for correspondence: Bumseok Jeong, MD, PhD. Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-710, Korea. Tel +82-42-350-4245, Fax +82-42-350-0505, bs.jeong@kaist.ac.kr

Received 4 June 2012       Revised 17 June 2012       Accepted 18 July 2012

Copyright © 2012 Korean Neuropsychiatric Association

Abstract

Objectives

Abnormalities in various subcortical regions have been reported in previous structural neuroimaging studies for schizophrenia. To understand the subcortical abnormalities as a whole, all subcortical regions should be explored in each subject unlike most previous studies. Here, we explored major subcortical structures using volume measurement and shape analysis for schizophrenic patients (SZ), their unaffected siblings (Sib) and healthy controls without affected sibling (HC).

Methods

Structural magnetic resonance images were acquired from 24 SZ, 24 Sib and 19 HC. Both segmentation and shape analysis for subcortical structures was performed using FMRIB Integrated Registration and Segmentation Tool integrated within the FSL software. The group comparison of subcortical volumes was performed with multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA).

Results

In SZ group, shape deformities were observed in the left nucleus caudates, left thalamus, left putamen and bilateral pallidus were increased compared with HC group. In Sib group, shape deformities were observed in the left pallidus, left putamen and left putamen was decreased compared with HC group. In Sib group, left nucleus accumbens was increased compared with SZ group.

Conclusion

The result of this study using volume measurement and shape analysis suggest that subcortical structural abnormalities in cortico-striato-pallido-thalamic and reward circuits are related with both the pathology of schizophrenia and genetic predisposition.

Keywords: Schizophrenia, Unaffected sibling, Shape analysis, Subcortex, Magnetic resonance imaging

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1
Significant shape differences between different subject groups. For the SZ versus HC comparison, there are green-to-blue shading which denotes regions of inward deformation compared with healthy controls without affected sibling in the anterolateral part of the left thalamus (A), the anterolateral part of the left putamen (B) and the posteromedial part of the left nucleus caudates (C). For the Sib versus HC comparison, unaffected siblings showed deformity of the left globus pallidus (D), the left putamen (E) compared with healthy controls without affected sibling. Figures represent inward deformation in posterolateral region, outward deformation in posteromedial region of both structures. For the SZ versus Sib comparison, unaffected siblings showed outward deformation of left putamen (F) compared with schizophrenic patients. But there were no significant differences between schizophrenic patients and unaffected siblings after multiple comparison correction. SZ : Schizophrenic patients, Sib : Unaffected siblings, HC : Healthy controls without affected sibling.
jkna-51-241-g001
Table 1
Demographic data and clinical characteristics of schizophrenic patients (SZ), unaffected siblings (Sib), healthy controls without affected sibling (HC)
jkna-51-241-i001

Data given as mean±SD. PANSS : Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, SD : Standard deviation

Table 2
Brain volume measurements of schizophrenic patients (SZ), unaffected siblings (Sib), healthy controls without affected sibling (HC)
jkna-51-241-i002

Data given as mean±SD, Volumes measured in cm3. A MANOVA was applied for estimating between group differences (p<0.05), Relative volume (%) represents absolute volume/Brain volume×100. CSF : Cerebrospinal fluid space, GM : Gray matter, WM : White matter, MANOVA : Multivariate analysis of variance, SD : Standard deviation

Table 3
Group differences in volume and shape of subcortex structure of schizophrenic patients (SZ), unaffected siblings (Sib), healthy controls without affected sibling (HC)
jkna-51-241-i003

* : The comparison with HC

Notes

The authors have no financial conflicts of interest.

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