Neuroanatomical comparison of treatment-resistant and treatment-responsive schizophrenia patients using the cloud-based brain magnetic resonance image segmentation and parcellation system: An MRIcloud study.

Recent developments in neuroimaging have improved our understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying schizophrenia. However, neuroimaging findings in treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) remain unclear. In the present study, we aimed to explore potential neuroanatomical regions that may be associated with treatment resistance in schizophrenia patients by comparing neuroanatomical regions of TRS and non-TRS patients using the MRICloud method. A total of 33 schizophrenia patients (meeting DSM 5 diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia) were included in the study. Patients were dichotomized into TRS (n = 18) and non-TRS (n = 15) groups, and all patients underwent MRI. Neuroanatomical regions of TRS and non-TRS patients were compared using the MRICloud method. Disease severity was measured using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Interestingly, a statistically significant greater left Corpus Collosum (CC) thickness was found in TRS patients compared to non-TRS patients. It is clear that further studies comparing TRS patients with non-TRS patients are needed, and these studies should focus on the circuits in the corpus callosum that are thought to play a role in treatment resistance. Further longitudinal studies are also needed to complement the cross-sectional studies, using a multimodal imaging approach in the patients with clearly defined TRS criteria.

Oxytocin and Vasopressin Blood Levels in People with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Background: The neuroendocrine system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis are among the possible neurobiological factors that may be involved in the emergence and persistence of post-traumatic stress disorder. Here, we determined the levels of vasopressin and oxytocin in the peripheral blood of people with post-traumatic stress disorder, investigating their correlation with post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. Methods: The study included patients with post-traumatic stress disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Version 4 and healthy controls. People who accepted to participate in the study, who did not have any additional diseases, who had the ability to understand the questionnaires, and who did not use medications during the 3 months preceding the study onset were enrolled. The levels of vasopressin and oxytocin were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Twenty-eight subjects with post-traumatic stress disorder and 19 healthy controls were included. The 2 groups were not significantly different in terms of oxytocin blood levels (P = .481). However, subjects with post-traumatic stress disorder had a significantly lower vasopressin level than controls (P < .001). We found no significant correlations of trauma duration and scale scores with oxytocin or vasopressin levels. Conclusion: The findings of this study show that blood vasopressin may play a role in post-traumatic stress disorder. Prospective studies based on a larger number of participants are warranted to clarify how neuromodulators may affect the pathogenesis of post-traumatic stress disorder.

IL-4, TGF-, NF-B and MPO levels in Patients with Treatment Resistant Schizophrenia. / Tedaviye Dirençli Sizofreni Hastalarinda IL-4, TGF-ß, NF-κB ve MPO Düzeyleri.

OBJECTIVE: Schizophrenia is a chronic psychotic disorder in which genetics and environmental factors such as infection and the corresponding immune response play a role in the etiopathogenesis. The aim of this study was to compare some immune factors such as nuclear factor-B (NF-B) activation, myeloperoxidase (MPO), the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-4 (IL-4), and regulatory cytokine transforming growth factor- (TGF-) in schizophrenia patients and an age- and gender-matched control group. METHOD: Plasma levels of IL-4, TGF-, MPO, and NF-B activation in 20 subjects with treatment-resistant schizophrenia and 20 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were analyzed. Disease severity was evaluated using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). RESULTS: Plasma TGF- levels were found to be significantly lower and NF-B to be significantly higher in antipsychotic treatment-resistant schizophrenia patients than in controls in this study. No significant differences were found between the patient and control groups for serum IL-4 and MPO levels. CONCLUSION: The low TGF- level in treatment-resistant schizophrenia patients in the symptom exacerbation period indicates that there is inadequate Th1/Th2 balance. Large-scale studies are required to investigate whether this is responsible for resistance in schizophrenia. The fact that the increase in NF-B that we found in treatment-resistant schizophrenia patients in this study has also been reported in the first attack in untreated schizophrenia patients in previous studies indicates that NF-B plays a role in the disorder's physiopathology from the beginning.