Dissociation of anatomical and functional alterations of the default-mode network in first-episode, drug-naive schizophrenia.
OBJECTIVE
Anatomical and functional alterations of the default-mode network (DMN) have been implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. However, no study is engaged to explore whether structural and functional abnormalities of the DMN overlap in schizophrenia. This study was undertaken to examine whether anatomical and functional abnormalities are present in similar or different brain regions of the DMN in first-episode, drug-naive schizophrenia.


METHODS
Forty-nine first-episode, drug-naive schizophrenia patients and 50 age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy controls underwent structural and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning. The voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) methods were used to analyze imaging data.


RESULTS
The patients exhibited significantly decreased gray matter volume (GMV) in the left medial prefrontal cortex (orbital part) and increased fALFF in the left posterior cingulate cortex compared with the controls. No overlap of brain regions with anatomical and functional abnormalities was observed in the patient group. There was also no correlation between decreased GMV/increased fALFF and clinical variables in patients.


CONCLUSIONS
A dissociation pattern of brain regions with anatomical and functional changes within the DMN is revealed in schizophrenia patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that brain functional and anatomical abnormalities within the DMN might contribute independently to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
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. Electronic address: guowenbin76@163.com.
Wenbin
W
Guo
Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610054, China.
Feng
F
Liu
Mental Health Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China.
Changqing
C
Xiao
Mental Health Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China.
Zhikun
Z
Zhang
Mental Health Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China.
Miaoyu
M
Yu
Mental Health Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China.
Jianrong
J
Liu
Mental Health Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China.
Guiying
G
Liu
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.
Jingping
J
Zhao
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; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult
Default-mode network; First-episode schizophrenia; Fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation; Voxel-based morphometry