title: Mean kurtosis alterations of cerebral white matter in patients with schizophrenia revealed by diffusion kurtosis imaging.
abstract: Diffusion kurtosis imaging can provide a better understanding of microstructural white matter (WM) changes where crossing fibers exist, compared with conventional diffusion tensor imaging. Here, we aimed to examine the differences of mean kurtosis (MK) and fractional anisotropy (FA) values between patients with schizophrenia and control subjects using voxel-based analysis (VBA). Additionally, we examined the correlation between these values and severity of clinical symptoms in patients with schizophrenia.
  
  
  
  MK and FA values were acquired with a 3.0T scanner from 31 patients with schizophrenia and 31 age-, handedness-, and sex-matched healthy controls. VBA was used to compare the MK and FA maps of the patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. We also performed a correlation analysis between the MK and FA values of the regions with significant differences and the positive and negative syndrome scale scores in patients with schizophrenia.
  
  
  
  Compared to FA values, voxels with MK decrease were more widespread across bilateral cerebral the WM of patients with schizophrenia. The MK values of left superior longitudinal fasciculus were significantly negatively correlated with the severity of positive symptoms (r=-0.451, P=0.011). There was no significant correlation between MK and FA values and other clinical variables.
  
  
  
  The diffusion kurtosis indices are suitable for evaluating altered WM structures in the human brain as they may detect white matter alterations of crossing fibers alterations of WM in schizophrenia and assess the clinical state of patients.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, North 15 West 7, Kita, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan. Electronic address: hisashinarita@eis.hokudai.ac.jp.
authors: Hisashi
authors: H
authors: Narita
authors: Department of Radiation Medicine, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, North 15 West 7, Kita, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan; Global Station for Quantum Medical Science and Engineering, Hokkaido University Hospital, N-14, W-5, Kita, Sapporo 060-8648, Japan.
authors: Khin K
authors: KK
authors: Tha
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, North 15 West 7, Kita, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan.
authors: Naoki
authors: N
authors: Hashimoto
authors: Department of Radiological Technology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, North 15 West 7, Kita, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan.
authors: Hiroyuki
authors: H
authors: Hamaguchi
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, North 15 West 7, Kita, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan.
authors: Shin
authors: S
authors: Nakagawa
authors: Department of Radiation Medicine, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, North 15 West 7, Kita, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan; Global Station for Quantum Medical Science and Engineering, Hokkaido University Hospital, N-14, W-5, Kita, Sapporo 060-8648, Japan.
authors: Hiroki
authors: H
authors: Shirato
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, North 15 West 7, Kita, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan.
authors: Ichiro
authors: I
authors: Kusumi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016880:Anisotropy; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011336:Probability; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D066127:White Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Diffusion kurtosis imaging; Diffusion tensor imaging; Schizophrenia; Voxel-based morphometry; White matter