New evidence for involvement of the entorhinal region in schizophrenia: a combined MRI volumetric and DTI study.
Postmortem examinations and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies suggest involvement of the entorhinal cortex (EC) in schizophrenic psychoses. However, the extent and nature of the possible pathogenetical process underlying the observed alterations of this limbic key region for processing of multimodal sensory information remains unclear. Three-dimensional high-resolution MRI volumetry and evaluation of the regional diffusional anisotropy based on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) were performed on the EC of 15 paranoid schizophrenic patients and 15 closely matched control subjects. In schizophrenic patients, EC volumes showed a slight, but not significant, decrease. However, the anisotropy values, expressed as inter-voxel coherences (COH), were found to be significantly decreased by 17.9% (right side) and 12.5% (left side), respectively, in schizophrenics. Reduction of entorhinal diffusional anisotropy can be hypothesized to be functionally related to disturbances in the perforant path, the principal efferent EC fiber tract supplying the limbic system with neuronal input from multimodal association centers. Combinations of different MRI modalities are a promising approach for the detection and characterization of subtle brain tissue alterations.
Kalus
Peter
P
Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité University Medicine, Campus Mitte, Turmstrasse 21, D-10559 Berlin, Germany. peter.kalus@charite.de
Slotboom
Johannes
J
Gallinat
Jürgen
J
Federspiel
Andrea
A
Gralla
Jan
J
Remonda
Luca
L
Strik
Werner K
WK
Schroth
Gerhard
G
Kiefer
Claus
C
D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D016880:Anisotropy; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D018728:Entorhinal Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007206:Individuality; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents