Brain morphometry using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging: application to schizophrenia.
Loss of cortical gray matter is accompanied by a commensurate increase in the sulcal and intraventricular cerebrospinal fluid volume. On diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, this would be reflected as a higher apparent diffusion coefficient in affected brain regions. On the basis of the above premise, we suggest that the apparent diffusion coefficient may be used as a surrogate marker for the assessment of regional brain volume deficits. We demonstrate this approach by voxelwise analysis of registered apparent diffusion coefficient images from a group of 15 patients with schizophrenia and 15 age-matched healthy controls. We found widespread regional apparent diffusion coefficient increases in patients. Affected areas included the bilateral insular cortex, hippocampus, temporal lobe, and occipital areas. These results largely concur with previous findings of cortical volume deficits in schizophrenia.
Ardekani
Babak A
BA
Center for Advanced Brain Imaging, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York, USA.
Bappal
Arthika
A
D'Angelo
Debra
D
Ashtari
Manzar
M
Lencz
Todd
T
Szeszko
Philip R
PR
Butler
Pamela D
PD
Javitt
Daniel C
DC
Lim
Kelvin O
KO
Hrabe
Jan
J
Nierenberg
Jay
J
Branch
Craig A
CA
Hoptman
Matthew J
MJ
D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000473:pathology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000473:pathology*; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology