Exploring the latent cognitive structure in schizophrenia: implications for antipsychotic treatment responses.

BACKGROUND: Individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia present diverse degrees and types of cognitive impairment, leading to variations in responses to antipsychotic treatments. Understanding the underlying cognitive structures is crucial for assessing this heterogeneity. Utilizing latent profile analysis (LPA) enables the delineation of latent categories of cognitive function. Integrating this approach with a dimensional perspective allows for the exploration of the relationship between cognitive function and treatment response. METHODS: This study examined 647 patients from two distinct cohorts. Utilizing LPA within the discovery cohort (n = 333) and the replication cohort (n = 314), latent subtypes were identified categorically. The stability of cognitive structures was evaluated employing Latent Transition Analysis (LTA). The relationship between cognitive function and treatment response were investigated by comparing Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) reduction rates across diverse cognitive subtypes. Furthermore, dimensional insights were gained through correlation analyses between cognitive tests and PANSS reduction rates. RESULTS: In terms of categorical, individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia can be categorized into three distinct subtypes: those 'without cognitive deficit', those 'with mild-moderate cognitive 'eficit', and those 'with moderate-severe cognitive deficit'. There are significant differences in PANSS reduction rates among patients belonging to these subtypes following antipsychotic treatment (p < 0.05). Furthermore, from a dimensional perspective, processing speed at baseline is positively correlated with PANSS score reduction rates at week 8/week 10 (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings have unveiled the latent subtypes of cognitive function in schizophrenia, illuminating the association between cognitive function and responses to antipsychotic treatment from both categorical and dimensional perspectives.

Early non-response as a predictor of later non-response to antipsychotics in schizophrenia: a randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: It remains a challenge to predict the long-term response to antipsychotics in patients with schizophrenia who do not respond at an early stage. This study aimed to investigate the optimal predictive cut-off value for early non-response that would better predict later non-response to antipsychotics in patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: This multicenter, 8-week, open-label, randomized trial was conducted at 19 psychiatric centers throughout China. All enrolled participants were assigned to olanzapine, risperidone, amisulpride, or aripiprazole monotherapy for 8 weeks. The positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) was evaluated at baseline, week 2, week 4, and week 8. The main outcome was the prediction of nonresponse. Nonresponse is defined as a < 20% reduction in the total scores of PANSS from baseline to endpoint. Severity ratings of mild, moderate, and severe illness corresponded to baseline PANSS total scores of 58, 75, and 95, respectively. RESULTS: At week 2, a reduction of < 5% in the PANSS total score showed the highest total accuracy in the severe and mild schizophrenia patients (total accuracy, 75.0% and 80.8%, respectively), and patients who were treated with the risperidone and amisulpride groups (total accuracy, 82.4%, and 78.2%, respectively). A 10% decrease exhibited the best overall accuracy in the moderate schizophrenia patients (total accuracy, 84.0%), olanzapine (total accuracy, 79.2%), and aripiprazole group (total accuracy, 77.4%). At week 4, the best predictive cut-off value was < 20%, regardless of the antipsychotic or severity of illness (total accuracy ranging from 89.8 to 92.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Symptom reduction at week 2 has acceptable discrimination in predicting later non-response to antipsychotics in schizophrenia, and a more accurate predictive cut-off value should be determined according to the medication regimen and baseline illness severity. The response to treatment during the next 2 weeks after week 2 could be further assessed to determine whether there is a need to change antipsychotic medication during the first four weeks. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered on Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03451734).

Association between history of miscarriage and autism spectrum disorder.

This case-control study was designed to examine the association between different types of miscarriage history and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and determine whether the number of miscarriage history affects the risk of ASD. All of 2274 children with ASD and 1086 healthy controls were recruited. Sociodemographic and prenatal, perinatal, and neonatal characteristics were compared between the two groups. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were applied to investigate association between miscarriage history and ASD. Stratified analyses based on sex and types of miscarriages were similarly performed. History of miscarriage was potential risk factors for ASD ([aOR] = 2.919; 95% [CI] = 2.327-3.517). Stratified analyses revealed that induced ([aOR] = 2.763, 95% [CI] = 2.259-3.379) and spontaneous miscarriage history ([aOR] = 3.341, 95% [CI] = 1.939-4.820) were associated with high risk of ASD, respectively. A sex-biased ratio in the risk of ASD was observed between females ([aOR] = 3.049, 95% [CI] = 2.153-4.137) and males ([aOR] = 2.538, 95% [CI] = 1.978-3.251). Stratified analysis of induced miscarriage history revealed that only iatrogenic miscarriage history was associated with an increased risk ASD ([aOR] = 2.843, 95% [CI] = 1.534-4.268). Also, multiple spontaneous miscarriage histories ([aOR] = 1.836, 95% [CI] = 1.252-2.693) were associated with higher autism risk than one spontaneous miscarriages history ([aOR] = 3.016, 95% [CI] = 1.894-4.174). In conclusion, miscarriage history is related to an increased risk for ASD in offspring, which is affected by the types of miscarriage and sex of the fetus.

The association of SOD and HsCRP with the efficacy of sulforaphane in schizophrenia patients with residual negative symptoms.

OBJECTIVES: Emerging evidence indicates a connection between oxidative stress, immune-inflammatory processes, and the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. In addition to possessing potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, sulforaphane (SFN) has shown promise in enhancing cognitive function among individuals with schizophrenia. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of combined treatment with SFN in patients with schizophrenia who experience negative symptoms and its effect on the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the inflammatory marker, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (HsCRP). DESIGN: Forty-five patients with schizophrenia were recruited, who mainly experienced negative symptoms during a stable period. In addition to the original treatments, the patients received SFN tablets at a daily dose of 90 mg for 24 weeks. At baseline, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks, the participants were interviewed and evaluated. The reduction rate of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used to assess each participant. The side effects scale of Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale (TESS) was applied to assess the adverse reactions. Additionally, the levels of the SOD, HsCRP, and other indicators were examined. RESULTS: The study findings revealed a significant decrease in PANSS negative subscale scores (P < 0.001). Furthermore, there was a significant increase in SOD activity and HsCRP levels (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05). Notably, the group of participants who exhibited a reduction in PANSS negative subscale scores demonstrated a significant improvement in HsCRP levels (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that SFN may potentially serve as a safe adjunctive intervention to improve the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. The potential mechanism by which SFN improves negative symptoms in schizophrenia patients may involve its anti-inflammatory properties, specifically its ability to reduce HsCRP levels. Trial registration ClinicalTrial.gov (ID: NCT03451734).

Minocycline and antipsychotics inhibit inflammatory responses in BV-2 microglia activated by LPS via regulating the MAPKs/ JAK-STAT signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Abnormal activation of microglia is involved in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Minocycline and antipsychotics have been reported to be effective in inhibiting the activation of microglia and thus alleviating the negative symptoms of patients with schizophrenia. However, the specific molecular mechanism by which minocycline and antipsychotics inhibit microglial activation is not clear. In this study, we aimed to explore the molecular mechanism of treatment effect of minocycline and antipsychotics on schizophrenia. METHODS: Microglia cells were activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and further treated with minocycline, haloperidol, and risperidone. Then cell morphology, specific marker, cytokines, and nitric oxide production process, and the proteins in related molecular signaling pathways in LPS-activated microglia were compared among groups. RESULTS: The study found that minocycline, risperidone, and haloperidol significantly inhibited morphological changes and reduced the expression of OX-42 protein induced by LPS. Minocycline significantly decreased the production of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin-1beta (IL-1ß). Risperidone also showed significant decrease in the production of IL-6 and TNF-α, while haloperidol only showed significant decrease in the production of IL-6. Minocycline, risperidone, and haloperidol were found to significantly inhibit nitric oxide (NO) expression, but had no effect on inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression. Both minocycline and risperidone were effective in decreasing the activity of c­Jun N­terminal kinase (JNK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) signal pathway. Additionally, minocycline and risperidone were found to increase the activity of phosphorylated-p38. In contrast, haloperidol only suppressed the activity of ERK. Minocycline also suppressed the activation of janus kinase 2 (JAK2) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), while risperidone and haloperidol only suppressed the activation of STAT3. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrated that minocycline and risperidone exert stronger anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects stronger than haloperidol, through MAPKs and Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) signaling pathways in BV2 cells stimulated with LPS, revealing the underlying mechanisms of minocycline and atypical antipsychotics in the treatment of negative schizophrenia symptoms.

Risk factors for osteoporosis in chronic schizophrenia on long-term treatment with antipsychotics: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the laboratory variable risks with bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with schizophrenia. This study was designed to fully investigate the related risk factors for decreased BMD in schizophrenia, as well as evaluate the gender difference of BMD. METHOD: The BMD of the forearm of 211 patients (males/females = 140/71) who met the diagnostic criteria for DSM-5 schizophrenia was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Basic demographic information, clinical assessments, and laboratory variables (regarding nutrition, hormones, metabolism, and inflammatory markers) were comprehensively collected. RESULTS: Among 211 subjects, seventy-four (35%) patients had low BMD. Males had a significantly lower BMD T-score than females (P = 0.002). Multiple regression analyses showed that the independent risks with low BMD were lower folate, glycosylated hemoglobin levels, higher age, serum ferritin, and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels. In female patients, the BMD was mainly associated with age and serum hormones (FSH and testosterone), while the BMD of male patients was primarily related to age, microelements (serum ferritin and 25-OH-VD), and parathyroid hormone. CONCLUSION: Our study found several meaningful correlations between osteoporosis and schizophrenia, especially regarding laboratory measures, which may provide new clues to identifying or preventing osteoporosis in clinical patients.

New Insight Into Metformin-Induced Cholesterol-Lowering Effect Crosstalk Between Glucose and Cholesterol Homeostasis via ChREBP (Carbohydrate-Responsive Element-Binding Protein)-Mediated PCSK9 (Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9) Regulation.

[Figure: see text].

Previous exposure to antipsychotic drug treatment is an effective predictor of metabolic disturbances experienced with current antipsychotic drug treatments.

BACKGROUND: Antipsychotic drugs are associated with adverse events, but serious side effects are not frequent. This study aimed to ascertain whether previous exposure to antipsychotic treatment was associated with metabolic disturbances induced by current antipsychotic medication. METHODS: A total of 115 antipsychotic-naïve patients, 65 patients with previous exposure to low-metabolic-risk antipsychotics, and 88 patients with previous exposure to high-metabolic-risk antipsychotics were enrolled in our case-control study. All patients were administered olanzapine. Body weight, body mass index (BMI), biochemical indicators of blood glucose and lipids, the proportion of patients who gained more than 7% of their body weight at baseline, and the percentage of dyslipidemia were evaluated. All assessments were conducted at baseline and at 4 and 6 weeks after treatment. RESULTS: Olanzapine treatment resulted in a significant increase in body weight and BMI in antipsychotic-naïve patients compared with the other two groups (both p < 0.05). However, increases in lipid levels in the high-metabolic-risk antipsychotics group were significantly higher than that in the other two groups (both p < 0.05). A history of antipsychotics use was not associated with weight gain (all p > 0.05). Higher low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ≥3.37 mmol/L-1 was observed in antipsychotics exposure group compared with no history of antipsychotics exposure (aOR, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.07-3.52). Particularly, a history of high-metabolic-risk antipsychotics use was associated with a higher risk of LDL-C ≥3.37 mmol/L-1(aOR, 2.18; 95% CI, 1.03-3.32) compare with other two groups. CONCLUSIONS: A history of exposure to antipsychotics, particularly high-metabolic-risk antipsychotics, is associated with current antipsychotic-induced metabolic disturbances.

Association of Aripiprazole With Reduced Hippocampal Atrophy During Maintenance Treatment of First-Episode Schizophrenia.

PURPOSE/BACKGROUND: Hippocampal volume loss in early schizophrenia has been linked with markers of inflammation and oxidative stress, and with less response of negative symptoms. Aripiprazole has been reported to preserve hippocampal volume and to reduce inflammation. METHODS/PROCEDURES: Study 1 was a 12-month multicenter randomized placebo-controlled trial of citalopram added to clinician-determined second-generation antipsychotic medication in 95 patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FES), 19 of whom received aripiprazole. We compared participants taking aripiprazole with those on other antipsychotics to determine whether those on aripiprazole had less hippocampal volume loss. We also examined peripheral biomarker data from medication-naive patients with schizophrenia receiving 8 weeks of antipsychotic treatment (n = 24) to see whether markers of inflammation and oxidative stress that previously predicted hippocampal volume differed between aripiprazole (n = 9) and other antipsychotics (study 2). FINDINGS/RESULTS: Aripiprazole was associated with a mean increase in hippocampal volume of 0.35% (SD, 0.80%) compared with a 0.53% decrease (SD, 1.2%) with other antipsychotics during the first year of maintenance treatment in patients with FES. This difference was significant after adjusting for age, sex, citalopram treatment, and baseline Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale score (B = 0.0079, P = 0.03). Aripiprazole was also associated with reduced concentrations of the inflammatory cytokines interleukin-8 and tumor necrosis factor (P < 0.01) during the first 8 weeks of treatment in medication-naive patients with FES. IMPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that aripiprazole may protect against hippocampal atrophy via an anti-inflammatory mechanism, but these results require replication in larger, randomized trials, and the clinical relevance of hippocampal volume loss is not established.

Autism spectrum disorder and severe social impairment associated with elevated plasma interleukin-8.

BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with an unclear etiology and pathophysiology. Previous studies have indicated that the dysregulation of cytokines may be involved in the pathogenesis of ASD and that the levels of cytokines may serve as potential biomarkers of this disorder. METHODS: The current study employed a family triad-based case-control design to study the levels of plasma cytokines in families with ASD (n = 45 triads) and controls (n = 38 triads) with a Human Cytokine Twenty-Five-Plex Kit. The Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) was used to measure social impairment of ASD children. RESULTS: After controlling for the levels of parental cytokines, we identified that interferon-α (IFN-α), interleukin-7 (IL-7), IL-8, IFN-γ-inducible protein-10, and macrophage inflammatory protein-1ß were associated with ASD, and IL-8 was the only cytokine also associated with the levels of both parental cytokines in the offspring-parents regression analysis and three subdomains of SRS (social awareness, cognition, and motivations) in the children with ASD. The receiver operating characteristic curve showed that the log-transformed IL-8 level discriminated children with autism from controls with an area under the curve of 0.858 (95% confidence interval: 0.777-0.939). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that IL-8 is a potential biomarker for ASD and may be involved in the pathogenesis of ASD. IMPACT: The study suggests that IL-8 is a promising biomarker for ASD and may be involved in the pathogenesis of ASD. Only a very few studies have reported the parental cytokine levels. The significant strength of this article is that we applied the family triad-based approach to explore cytokine levels in families with autism and controls. There are no objective biomarkers, making the accurate diagnosis, prognostic prediction and effective treatment difficult, and our study provides promising results.

Effect of CYP2D6 polymorphisms on plasma concentration and therapeutic effect of risperidone.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the influence of CYP2D6 polymorphisms on risperidone plasma concentrations in patients with schizophrenia. Based on pharmacogenomics, we examined whether plasma concentration of risperidone is associated with clinical response and adverse side-effects. METHODS: We recruited patients with chronic schizophrenia who were then treated with risperidone. The CYP2D6 genotypes were determined using targeted sequencing. All high-frequency mutation sites of the nine exons of the gene were assayed in the present study. Plasma concentrations of risperidone and 9-hydroxyrisperidone (9-OH-RIS) were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Psychiatric symptoms were monitored using The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), and Clinical Global Impression (CGI). Adverse effects were evaluated using the Barnes Akathisia Scale (BAS) and Extrapyramidal Symptom Rating Scale (ESRS). Follow-up visits were scheduled at weeks 2,4, and 8 after treatment initiation. RESULTS: Among the 76 patients, 100 C > T (rs1065852), 1038 C > T (rs1081003), 1662 G > C (rs1058164), 2851 C > T (rs16947), and 4181G > C (rs1135840) variants were detected. The most common allele was CYP2D6*10 (81.6%), whereas CYP2D6*2 (9.2%) and CYP2D6*5 (17.1%) were relatively rare. Plasma levels of risperidone and the risperidone/9-OH risperidone ratio (R/9-OH) were significantly increased in individuals with CYP2D6*10 (P < 0.05). The change in PANSS score, weight, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level, prolactin (PRL) level, and ESRS were significantly different from baseline, between the different genotypes (P < 0.01). Moreover, individuals with CYP2D6*10 homozygous (TT) mutations were associated with higher risperidone concentration and R/9-OH ratio than those with heterozygous mutations (CT) (P < 0.01). A change from baseline in BPRS scores was observed only during week 8 and was different between heterozygous and homozygous mutations. As for the C2851T polymorphism, the incidence of adverse metabolic effects was significantly different between the C/C and C/T genotypes (P < 0.01). Regarding the G4181C polymorphisms, the changes from baseline in GLU and TG, were different between the C/C and C/G genotypes (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The genotype of CYP2D6 significantly influences the plasma concentration of risperidone and may subsequently influence the adverse side-effects following risperidone treatment, while also exerting a slight influence on clinical outcomes.

Anesthesia, sex and miscarriage history may influence the association between cesarean delivery and autism spectrum disorder.

BACKGROUND: To explore the association between cesarean section (CS) and risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and evaluate the possible factors influencing this association. METHODS: In total, 950 patients diagnosed with ASD and 764 healthy controls were recruited in this study. Socio-demographic characteristics and prenatal, perinatal, and neonatal characteristics were compared between the two groups. Univariate and multivariable conditional logistic regression analyses were applied to adjust for confounders. Further stratified analyses based on sex and miscarriage history were similarly performed to explore the factors influencing the association between CS and ASD. RESULTS: CS was evidently associated with an elevated risk of ASD (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.606, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.311-1.969). Unlike regional anesthesia (RA), only CS performed under general anesthesia (GA) consistently elevated the risk of ASD (aOR = 1.887, 95% CI = 1.273-2.798) in females and males in further stratified analysis. The risk of children suffering from ASD following emergency CS was apparently increased in males (aOR = 2.390, 95% CI = 1.392-5.207), whereas a higher risk of ASD was observed among voluntary CS and indicated CS subgroups (aOR = 2.167, 95% CI = 1.094-4.291; aOR = 2.919, 95% CI = 1.789-4.765, respectively) in females. Moreover, the interaction term of CS and past miscarriage history (ß = - 0.68, Wald χ2 = 7.5, df = 1, p = 0.006)) was similarly defined as influencing ASD. CONCLUSIONS: The exposure of children to GA during CS may explain the possible/emerging association between CS and ASD. In addition, sex and miscarriage history could equally be factors influencing the association between CS and ASD.

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Antipsychotic medication is the primary treatment for schizophrenia, which is effective on ameliorating positive symptoms and can reduce the risk of recurrence, but it has limited efficacy for negative symptoms and cognitive dysfunction. The negative symptoms and cognitive dysfunction seriously affects the life quality and social function for the patients with schizophrenia. Currently, there is plenty evidence that antipsychotic drugs combined with adjuvant therapy drugs can effectively improve the negative symptoms and cognitive dysfunction. These drugs include anti-oxidants, nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and neuro-inflammatory drugs (anti-inflammatory drugs, minocycline), which show potential clinical effects.

Combination of Metformin and Lifestyle Intervention for Antipsychotic-Related Weight Gain: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

INTRODUCTION: Weight gain is a common antipsychotic (AP)-related adverse drug reaction (ADR) that can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases and premature mortality. This meta-analysis examined the efficacy and tolerability of combining metformin and lifestyle intervention for AP-related weight gain in schizophrenia. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with meta-analyzable data were searched and retrieved by 2 independent investigators. RevMan software (version 5.3) was used to synthesize data, and to calculate the standardized or weighted mean differences and risk ratio with their 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: Six RCTs (n=732) were included and meta-analyzed. The metformin and lifestyle combination (MLC) group had significant reduction in weight and body mass index compared with the metformin group, lifestyle group, and placebo group. There was less frequent weight gain of≥7% in the MLC group over placebo. No other group differences in ADRs, total psychopathology, and all-cause discontinuation were found. In terms of study quality, 5 RCTs were open-labelled, 1 RCT had low risk allocation concealment, and 3 RCTs specifically described randomization methods. CONCLUSION: Combining metformin and lifestyle intervention shows significant effect in reducing AP-related weight gain. Higher quality and larger RCTs are needed to confirm these findings.Review registration: CRD42017059198.

[Role of sulforaphane in improving negative symptoms and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia and the underlying mechanism].

The negative symptoms and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia patients are still clinical problems to be solved. Schizophrenia patients are abnormal in oxidative stress, immune regulation, and anti-histone deacetylase (HDAC), while sulforaphane plays a role in anti-oxidative stress, anti-inflammation, and anti-HDAC. Therefore, the sulforaphane could improve the negative symptoms and cognitive deficits of schizophrenia.

[Metformin treatment of antipsychotic-induced dyslipidemia: analysis of two randomized, placebo-controlled trials].

OBJECTIVE: To examine the efficacy and safety for metformin in treating antipsychotic-induced dyslipidemia.
 Methods: Two randomized placebo-controlled trials were included in the analysis. A total of 201 schizophrenia patients with dyslipidemia after treatment with an antipsychotic were collected, and the patients were divided into two groups: a 1 000 mg/d metformin group (n=103) and a placebo group (n=98). The clinical symptoms and metabolic indicators such as body weight, blood glucose, and blood lipids were assessed at baseline, the 12th week and the 24th week after treatment respectively.
 Results: After metformin treatment, the mean difference in the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) value between the metformin group and the placebo group was from 0.16 mmol/L at baseline to -0.86 mmol/L at the end of the 24th week, which was decreased by 1.02 mmol/L (P<0.01). At the 24th week, the LDL-C was more than 3.37 mmol/L in 25.3% patients in the metformin group, which was significantly lower than that in the placebo group (64.8%) (P<0.01). Compared with the placebo group, there were significant changes in the weight, body mass index (BMI), insulin, insulin resistance index, total cholesterol and triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in the metformin group (all P<0.05). The treatment effects on weight and insulin resistance appeared at the 12th week and further improved at the 24th week, but the effects on improving dyslipidemia only significantly occurred at the end of the 24th week.
 Conclusion: The metformin treatment is effective in improving antipsychotic-induced dyslipidemia and insulin resistance, and the effect to reduce the antipsychotic-induced insulin resistance appears earlier than the effect to improve dyslipidemia.

Decreased Resting-State Interhemispheric Functional Connectivity Correlated with Neurocognitive Deficits in Drug-Naive First-Episode Adolescent-Onset Schizophrenia.

Background: Given that adolescence is a critical epoch in the onset of schizophrenia, studying aberrant brain changes in adolescent-onset schizophrenia, particularly in patients with drug-naive first-episode schizophrenia, is important to understand the biological mechanism of this disorder. Previous resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging studies have shown abnormal functional connectivity in separate hemispheres in patients with adult-onset schizophrenia. Our aim to study adolescent-onset schizophrenia can provide clues for the early aetiology of schizophrenia. Method: A total of 48 drug-naïve, first-episode, adolescent-onset schizophrenia outpatients and 31 healthy controls underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. Data were subjected to voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity and support vector machine analyses. Results: Compared with the healthy controls, the adolescent-onset schizophrenia group showed significantly lower voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity values in different brain regions, including the fusiform gyrus, superior temporal gyrus/insula, precentral gyrus, and precuneus. Decreased voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity values in the superior temporal gyrus/insula were significantly correlated with Trail-Making Test: Part A performance (r = -0.437, P = .002). A combination of the voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity values in the precentral gyrus and precuneus may be used to discriminate patients with adolescent-onset schizophrenia from controls with satisfactory classification results, which showed sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 87.09%, and accuracy of 94.93%. Conclusion: Our findings highlight resting-state interhemispheric FC abnormalities within the sensorimotor network of patients with adolescent-onset schizophrenia and confirm the relationship between adolescent-onset schizophrenia and adult-onset schizophrenia. These findings suggest that reduced interhemispheric connectivity within the sensorimotor network has a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.

Decreased white matter FA values in the left inferior frontal gyrus is a possible intermediate phenotype of schizophrenia: evidences from a novel group strategy.

Intermediate phenotype could be used to investigate genetic susceptibility. However, genetic and environmental heterogeneity may interfere with identification of intermediate phenotypes. In this study, we minimized these interferences by using a novel group strategy. A total of 22 drug-naive and first-episode schizophrenia (FES) patients, along with 22 of their kin healthy siblings (HS), 22 non-kin healthy siblings (nHS) of other schizophrenia patients and 22 healthy controls (HC), were recruited. Brain imaging was acquired from the participants. Voxel-based analysis was used to investigate differences in white matter integrity derived from diffusion tensor imaging among the four groups. Two cognitive tests related to our findings were selected to confirm the related phenotypic changes. All of the FES, HS, and nHS groups showed decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) values in the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) compared with the HC group (p < 0.05, FDR corrected). The scores of Hopkins Verbal learning Test-Revised and Animal Naming in FES patients were significantly lower than in participants belonging to the other three groups (p < 0.05). Significant correlation between Animal Naming scores and FA values in the left IFG was found in FES patients (r = 0.53, p = 0.01). Moreover, FES patients also showed decreased FA values in the left medial frontal gyrus, left inferior temporal gyrus, left parahippocampal gyrus, left posterior cingulate, and right middle temporal gyrus compared with HC (p < 0.05, FDR corrected). Decreased FA values in the left IFG is a possible intermediate phenotype of schizophrenia, and this finding supports the hypothesis that disrupted connectivity of white matter may be the key substrate of schizophrenia.

Voxel-wise brain-wide functional connectivity abnormalities in first-episode, drug-naive patients with major depressive disorder.

Due to different foci and single sample across studies, abnormal functional connectivity (FC) has been implicated in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD) with inconsistent results. The inconsistency may reflect a combination of clinical and methodological variability, which leads to limited reproducibility of these findings. The samples included 59 patients with MDD and 31 controls from Sample 1, 29 patients with MDD and 24 controls from Sample 2, and 31 patients with schizophrenia and 37 controls from Sample 3. Global-brain FC (GFC) and an overlapping technique were applied to analyze the imaging data. Compared with healthy controls, patients with MDD in Samples 1 and 2 showed increased GFC in the overlapped brain areas, including the bilateral insula, right inferior parietal lobule (IPL), and right supramarginal gyrus/IPL. By contrast, decreased GFC in the overlapped brain areas, including the bilateral posterior cingulate cortex/presuneus and left calcarine cortex, was found in patients with MDD. In addition, patients with schizophrenia in Sample 3 did not show any GFC abnormalities in the overlapped areas from the results of Samples 1 and 2. The present study is the first to examine voxel-wise brain-wide FC in MDD with two independent samples by using an overlapping technique. The results indicate that aberrant FC patterns of insula-centered sensorimotor circuit may account for the pathophysiology of MDD.

Olanzapine modulates the default-mode network homogeneity in recurrent drug-free schizophrenia at rest.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies on brain function alterations associated with antipsychotic treatment for schizophrenia have produced conflicting results because they used short treatment periods and different designs. METHODS: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans were obtained from 17 drug-free patients with recurrent schizophrenia and 24 healthy controls. The patients were treated with olanzapine for 6 months and were scanned at three time points (baseline, 6 weeks of treatment and 6 months of treatment). Network homogeneity was used to analyze the imaging data to examine default-mode network homogeneity alterations associated with antipsychotic treatment. RESULTS: Compared with the controls, the patients at baseline showed increased network homogeneity in the bilateral precuneus and decreased network homogeneity in the bilateral middle temporal gyrus. Network homogeneity values in the bilateral precuneus decreased, and network homogeneity values in the left superior medial prefrontal cortex and the right middle temporal gyrus increased in patients administered olanzapine as antipsychotic treatment. By contrast, network homogeneity values in the left middle temporal gyrus remained unchanged in patients after treatment. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence that antipsychotic treatment with olanzapine modulates the default-mode network homogeneity in schizophrenia. These findings contribute to the understanding of antipsychotic treatment effects on brain functions.