title: Brain white matter microstructure in deficit and non-deficit subtypes of schizophrenia.
abstract: Dividing schizophrenia into its deficit (SZD) and nondeficit (SZND) subtypes may help to identify specific and more homogeneous pathophysiological characteristics. Our aim was to define a whole brain voxelwise map specifically characterizing white matter tracts of schizophrenia patients with and without the deficit syndrome. We compared microstructural diffusion-related parameters as measured by diffusion tensor imaging in 21 SZD patients, 21 SZND patients, and 21 healthy controls, age- and gender-matched. Results showed that fractional anisotropy was reduced in the right precentral area in SZND patients, and in the left corona radiata of the schizophrenia group as a whole. Axial diffusivity was reduced in the left postcentral area of SZD patients and in the left cerebellum of the whole schizophrenia group. Radial diffusivity was increased in the left forceps minor of SZD patients, in the left internal capsule of SZND patients, and in the right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus in the whole schizophrenia group. Mean diffusivity was increased from healthy controls to SZD patients to SZND patients in the right occipital lobe. In conclusion, SZD patients are not simply at the extreme end of a severity continuum of white matter disruption. Rather, the SZD and SZND subtypes are associated with distinct and specific brain microstructural anomalies that are consistent with their peculiar psychopathological dimensions.
authors: Laboratory of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: g.spalletta@hsantalucia.it.
authors: Gianfranco
authors: G
authors: Spalletta
authors: Laboratory of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy; NESMOS Department, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors: Pietro
authors: P
authors: De Rossi
authors: Laboratory of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.
authors: Fabrizio
authors: F
authors: Piras
authors: Laboratory of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.
authors: Mariangela
authors: M
authors: Iorio
authors: Laboratory of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Dacquino
authors: Laboratory of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy; Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors: Francesca
authors: F
authors: Scanu
authors: NESMOS Department, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors: Paolo
authors: P
authors: Girardi
authors: Laboratory of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy; Department of Neuroscience, "Tor Vergata" University, Rome, Italy.
authors: Carlo
authors: C
authors: Caltagirone
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno, NV, USA.
authors: Brian
authors: B
authors: Kirkpatrick
authors: Laboratory of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.
authors: Chiara
authors: C
authors: Chiapponi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016880:Anisotropy; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D020772:Internal Capsule / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D066127:White Matter / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: DTI; Deficit syndrome; Neuroimaging; TBSS