title: Neuroanatomical Markers of Neurological Soft Signs in Recent-Onset Schizophrenia and Asperger-Syndrome.
abstract: Neurological soft signs (NSS) are frequently found in psychiatric disorders of significant neurodevelopmental origin. Previous MRI studies in schizophrenia have shown that NSS are associated with abnormal cortical, thalamic and cerebellar structure and function. So far, however, no neuroimaging studies investigated brain correlates of NSS in individuals with Asperger-Syndrome (AS) and the question whether the two disorders exhibit common or disease-specific cortical correlates of NSS remains unresolved. High-resolution MRI data at 3 T were obtained from 48 demographically matched individuals (16 schizophrenia patients, 16 subjects with AS and 16 healthy individuals). The surface-based analysis via Freesurfer enabled calculation of cortical thickness, area and folding (local gyrification index, LGI). NSS were examined on the Heidelberg Scale and related to cortical measures. In schizophrenia, higher NSS were associated with reduced cortical thickness and LGI in fronto-temporo-parietal brain areas. In AS, higher NSS were associated with increased frontotemporal cortical thickness. This study lends further support to the hypothesis that disorder-specific mechanisms contribute to NSS expression in schizophrenia and AS. Pointing towards dissociable neural patterns may help deconstruct the complex processes underlying NSS in these neurodevelopmental disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Voßstraße 4, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany. dusan.hirjak@med.uni-heidelberg.de.
authors.forename: Dusan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hirjak
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.affiliation: Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Voßstraße 4, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Isa
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Paternoga
authors.affiliation: Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Voßstraße 4, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Katharina M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kubera
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine II, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Anne K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Thomann
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Bram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stieltjes
authors.affiliation: Junior Group Medical Image Computing, Division of Medical and Biological Informatics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Klaus H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Maier-Hein
authors.affiliation: Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Voßstraße 4, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Philipp A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Thomann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020817:Asperger Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D059906:Neuroimaging / Q000379:methods; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D013788:Thalamus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: Asperger-Syndrome; Cortex; Healthy adults; LGI; MRI; NSS; Schizophrenia