title: A selective review of structural connectivity abnormalities of schizophrenic patients at different stages of the disease.
abstract: Schizophrenia has long been hypothesized to result from a disconnection syndrome due to a disruption of the association fibers of the brain. However, only with the advent of in vivo neuroimaging, a formal disconnectivity hypothesis for schizophrenia has been developed. Diffusion tensor MRI, a non-invasive technique which is sensitive to features of tissue microstructure and to the anatomy of the white matter fibers, has gained a crucial role in the field. Here, we provide a state-of-the-art review of structural connectivity abnormalities detected in schizophrenia and discuss the most relevant findings at preclinical, first episode drug-naïve, and chronic stages. Imaging studies showed white matter alterations from the preclinical to the chronic stage of the disease, which involve the corticospinal tracts, interhemispheric connections, long association white matter tracts, cerebello-thalamo-cortical circuit, and limbic system. Such abnormalities were found to be associated with the psychiatric and cognitive manifestations of the disease and to predict, at least partially, the patient clinical evolution and response to treatment.
authors.affiliation: Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Canu
authors.affiliation: Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Agosta
authors.affiliation: Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; Department of Neurology, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: filippi.massimo@hsr.it.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Filippi
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000473:pathology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology
keywords: Diffusion tensor MRI; Drug-naïve; First episode psychosis; Schizophrenia; Structural connectivity