The role of white matter for the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
Inter- and intra-hemispheric connectivity disturbances have been suggested to play a major role in schizophrenia. To this extent, diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) is a relatively new technique examining subtle white matter microstructure organization. DWI studies in schizophrenia strongly suggest that white matter communication is disrupted. This supports the hypothesis that there is a cortico-cortical and transcallosal altered connectivity in schizophrenia, which may be relevant for the pathophysiology and the cognitive disturbances of the disorder. Future longitudinal diffusion and functional imaging studies targeting brain communication together with genetic investigations should further characterize white matter pathology in schizophrenia and its relevance for the development of the illness.
Brambilla
Paolo
P
Department of Pathology and Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Udine, Scientific Institute IRCCS E. Medea, Via Colugna 50, 33100 Udine, Italy. paolo.brambilla@uniud.it
Tansella
Michele
M
D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013788:Thalamus / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology