title: Longitudinal study of cerebral surface morphology in youth with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, and association with positive symptoms of psychosis.
abstract: 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is a genetic disorder that greatly increases risk of developing schizophrenia. We previously characterized cerebral surface morphology trajectories from late childhood to mid adolescence in a cohort of youth with 22q11DS. Herein, we extend the study period into early adulthood, and describe further the trajectories associated with severe psychiatric symptoms in this cohort.
  
  
  
  Participants included 76 youth with 22q11DS and 30 unaffected siblings, assessed at three timepoints, during which high resolution, anatomic magnetic resonance images were acquired. High-dimensional, nonlinear warping algorithms were applied to images in order to derive characteristics of cerebral surface morphology for each participant at each timepoint. Repeated-measures, linear regressions using a mixed model were conducted, while covarying for age and sex.
  
  
  
  Alterations in cerebral surface morphology during late adolescence/early adulthood in individuals with 22q11DS were observed in the lateral frontal, orbitofrontal, temporal, parietal, occipital, and cerebellar regions. An Age x Diagnosis interaction revealed that relative to unaffected siblings, individuals with 22q11DS showed age-related surface protrusions in the prefrontal cortex (which remained stable or increased during early adulthood), and surface indentations in posterior regions (which seemed to level off during late adolescence). Symptoms of psychosis were associated with a trajectory of surface indentations in the orbitofrontal and parietal regions.
  
  
  
  These results advance our understanding of cerebral maturation in individuals with 22q11DS, and provide clinically relevant information about the psychiatric phenotype associated with the longitudinal trajectory of cortical surface morphology in youth with this genetic syndrome.
authors: Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
authors: Petya D
authors: PD
authors: Radoeva
authors: Children's Hospital Los Angeles and the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors: Ravi
authors: R
authors: Bansal
authors: Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
authors: Kevin M
authors: KM
authors: Antshel
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
authors: Wanda
authors: W
authors: Fremont
authors: Children's Hospital Los Angeles and the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors: Bradley S
authors: BS
authors: Peterson
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
authors: Wendy R
authors: WR
authors: Kates
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D004062:DiGeorge Syndrome / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D035781:Siblings; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Velo-cardio-facial syndrome; prodromal; psychosis; ‘cortical morphology’