title: Functional and white matter abnormalities in the language network in patients with schizophrenia: a combined study with diffusion tensor imaging and functional magnetic resonance imaging.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by functional abnormalities in the language network. Anatomical white matter (WM) abnormalities (volume and integrity) have also been reported for this pathology. Nevertheless, few studies have investigated anatomo-functional relationships in schizophrenia, and none has focused on the language comprehension network in relation to various diffusion parameters. We hypothesized that the WM abnormalities that are reflected by several diffusion parameters underlie functional deficits in the language network.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen DSM-IV patients with schizophrenia and 18 healthy controls without any significant differences in sex, age, or level of education were included. First, functional brain activation within the language network was estimated. Then, using diffusion tensor imaging, fractional anisotropy (FA), radial diffusivity (RD), and mean diffusivity (MD) values were extracted within WM regions adjacent to this network and their anatomo-functional relationships were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with healthy participants, both functional and diffusion deficits were observed in patients with schizophrenia. Primarily, an altered diffusion-functional relationship was observed in patients in the left middle temporal region: functional activations were positively correlated with FA, but were negatively correlated with RD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings indicate a close relationship between diffusion and functional deficits in patients with schizophrenia, suggesting that WM integrity disturbance might be one cause of functional alterations in the language network in patients with schizophrenia. Thus, the present multimodal study improves our understanding of the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: CHU de Caen, Service de Psychiatrie, Centre Esquirol, Caen, F-14000, France; CNRS, UMR 6301 ISTCT, ISTS team, GIP CYCERON, Bd Henri Becquerel, BP5229, F-14074 Caen cedex, France. Electronic address: eleroux@cyceron.fr.
authors.forename: Elise
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Leroux
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Delcroix
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alary
authors.forename: Annick
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Razafimandimby
authors.forename: Perrine
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brazo
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Delamillieure
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dollfus
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016880:Anisotropy; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007802:Language; D007807:Language Tests; D056784:Leukoencephalopathies / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000473:pathology*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen
keywords: Diffusion tensor imaging; Functional magnetic resonance imaging; Language; Middle temporal region; Schizophrenia; White matter