title: Dissociation of functional and anatomical brain abnormalities in unaffected siblings of schizophrenia patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Schizophrenia patients and their unaffected siblings share similar brain functional and structural abnormalities. However, no study is engaged to investigate whether and how functional abnormalities are related to structural abnormalities in unaffected siblings. This study was undertaken to examine the association between functional and anatomical abnormalities in unaffected siblings.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-six unaffected siblings of schizophrenia patients and 46 age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy controls underwent structural and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM), amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and fractional ALFF (fALFF) were utilized to analyze imaging data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The VBM analysis showed gray matter volume decreases in the fronto-temporal regions (the left middle temporal gyrus and right inferior frontal gyrus, orbital part) and increases in basal ganglia system (the left putamen). Functional abnormalities measured by ALFF and fALFF mainly involved in the fronto-limbic-sensorimotor circuit (decreased ALFF in bilateral middle frontal gyrus and the right middle cingulate gyrus, and decreased fALFF in the right inferior frontal gyrus, orbital part; and increased ALFF in the left fusiform gyrus and left lingual gyrus, and increased fALFF in bilateral calcarine cortex). No significant correlation was found between functional and anatomical abnormalities in the sibling group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A dissociation pattern of brain regions with functional and anatomical abnormalities is observed in unaffected siblings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that brain functional and anatomical abnormalities might be present independently in unaffected siblings of schizophrenia patients.
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China. Electronic address: guowenbin76@163.com.
authors.forename: Wenbin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China.
authors.forename: Zhikun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China.
authors.forename: Miaoyu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China.
authors.forename: Jianrong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China.
authors.forename: Changqing
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China.
authors.forename: Guiying
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Institute of the Second Xiangya Hospital, Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health of Hunan Province, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China.
authors.forename: Jingping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D035781:Siblings; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation; Fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation; Schizophrenia; Unaffected siblings; Voxel-based morphometry