Subtle disruption of the middle cerebellar peduncles in patients with schizophrenia.
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to investigate subtle disruption in the middle cerebellar peduncles in patients with schizophrenia. Fractional anisotropy (FA) was measured in 25 patients with schizophrenia and 21 healthy subjects using DTI. The FA of the right and left middle cerebellar peduncles was significantly lower in the schizophrenic patients compared to healthy subjects. FA in the left middle cerebellar peduncles was significantly correlated with the dosage of neuroleptics in patients with schizophrenia. There were no significant differences of mean diffusivity in the right and left middle cerebellar peduncles between patients with schizophrenia and healthy subjects. The findings of the study suggest that antipsychotics may improve the subtle disruption in the middle cerebellar peduncles in patients with schizophrenia.
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan. okugawa@takii.kmu.ac.jp
Gaku
G
Okugawa
Kenji
K
Nobuhara
Tomohisa
T
Minami
Chiharu
C
Tamagaki
Katsunori
K
Takase
Tatsuya
T
Sugimoto
Satoshi
S
Sawada
Toshihiko
T
Kinoshita
D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D016880:Anisotropy; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents