Cerebellar abnormalities in first-episode, drug-naive schizophrenia at rest. (30th June 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Guo, Wenbin; Zhang, Fengyu; Liu, Feng; Chen, Jindong; Wu, Renrong; Chen, Danny Q; Zhang, Zhikun; Zhai, Jinguo; Zhao, Jingping
• Is Part Of: Psychiatry research. Volume 276(2018)
• Page Start: 73
• Page End: 79
• Publication Date: 2018-06-30
• Subjects: Schizophrenia -- Cerebellum -- Cerebellum homogeneity -- Functional connectivity -- Network; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Brain -- Imaging -- Periodicals; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Diagnostic Imaging -- Periodicals; Psychiatrie -- Périodiques; Cerveau -- Imagerie pour le diagnostic -- Périodiques; 616.890754
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2018.03.010
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0925-4927

Abstract

Highlights: Cerebellar abnormalities are first examined in the same sample using multiple analysis methods. Cerebellar abnormalities in schizophrenia are mainly in the cerebellar-cerebral connectivities. A new method, cerebellum homogeneity, is first employed to assess the homogeneity of the cerebellum. Abstract: The cerebellum plays a crucial role in higher cortical functions through a cerebellar-cerebral circuit. However, the specific mechanisms through which the cerebellum contributes to the neurobiology of schizophrenia remain unclear. Forty-nine first-episode, drug-naive patients with schizophrenia and 50 healthy controls underwent structural and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). The MRI data were analyzed using voxel-based morphometry, amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF), cerebellum homogeneity (CH), and seed-based functional connectivity (FC). Patients with schizophrenia did not have anatomical and CH alterations in the cerebellum compared with healthy controls. However, they exhibited decreased ALFF in the right Crus I and abnormal cerebellar FC with brain regions within the dorsal attention network, default-mode network, and ventral attention network. The findings indicate that cerebellar abnormalities in first-episode schizophrenia are mainly in the cerebellar-cerebral connectivities, which may contribute to the neurobiology of schizophrenia.