Age-related deficits in fronto-temporal connections in schizophrenia: a diffusion tensor imaging study.
OBJECTIVE
Impairment of white matter connecting frontal and temporal cortices has been reported in schizophrenia. Yet, not much is known about the effects of age on fibers connecting these brain regions. Using diffusion tensor imaging tractography, we investigated the relationship between age and fiber integrity in patients with schizophrenia vs. healthy adults.


METHODS
DTI tractography was used to create 3D reconstructions of the cingulum, uncinate and inferior occipito-frontal fasciculi in 27 patients with schizophrenia and 34 healthy volunteers (23-56 years of age, group-matched on age). Fractional anisotropy (FA), describing fiber integrity, was then calculated along the entire length of these tracts, and correlated with subjects' age.


RESULTS
Patients revealed a significant decline in FA with age in both the cingulum and uncinate, but not in the inferior occipito-frontal fasciculi. No statistically significant correlations were found in these fiber bundles in controls.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest an age-associated reduction of frontal-temporal connectivity in schizophrenia, but not in healthy controls.
Rosenberger
Gudrun
G
Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, United States.
Kubicki
Marek
M
Nestor
Paul G
PG
Connor
Erin
E
Bushell
Georgia B
GB
Markant
Douglas
D
Niznikiewicz
Margaret
M
Westin
Carl-Fredrik
CF
Kikinis
Ron
R
J Saykin
Andrew
A
McCarley
Robert W
RW
Shenton
Martha E
ME
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D016880:Anisotropy; D035061:Control Groups; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000473:pathology*; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000473:pathology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology*