title: Convergent evidence from multimodal imaging reveals amygdala abnormalities in schizophrenic patients and their first-degree relatives.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Shared neuropathological features between schizophrenic patients and their first-degree relatives have potential as indicators of genetic vulnerability to schizophrenia. We sought to explore genetic influences on brain morphology and function in schizophrenic patients and their relatives.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a multimodal imaging strategy, we studied 33 schizophrenic patients, 55 of their unaffected parents, 30 healthy controls for patients, and 29 healthy controls for parents with voxel-based morphometry of structural MRI scans and functional connectivity analysis of resting-state functional MRI data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Schizophrenic patients showed widespread gray matter reductions in the bilateral frontal cortices, bilateral insulae, bilateral occipital cortices, left amygdala and right thalamus, whereas their parents showed more localized reductions in the left amygdala, left thalamus and right orbitofrontal cortex. Patients and their parents shared gray matter loss in the left amygdala. Further investigation of the resting-state functional connectivity of the amygdala in the patients showed abnormal functional connectivity with the bilateral orbitofrontal cortices, bilateral precunei, bilateral dorsolateral frontal cortices and right insula. Their parents showed slightly less, but similar changes in the pattern in the amygdala connectivity. Co-occurrences of abnormal connectivity of the left amygdala with the left orbitofrontal cortex, right dorsolateral frontal cortex and right precuneus were observed in schizophrenic patients and their parents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest a potential genetic influence on structural and functional abnormalities of the amygdala in schizophrenia. Such information could help future efforts to identify the endophenotypes that characterize the complex disorder of schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Yonghua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Huishu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Lifang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Weihua
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yue
authors.forename: Yanbo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xinmin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chaozhe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Dai
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000679:Amygdala / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003710:Demography; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000503:physiopathology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D055815:Young Adult