Abstract
Introduction: The fundamental role of the cerebellum in higher cognitive processing has recently been highlighted. However, inconsistent findings exist in schizophrenia with respect to the exact nature of cerebellar structural abnormalities and their associations with cognitive and clinical features.Materials and Methods: We undertook a detailed investigation of cerebellar lobular volumes in 40 patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP) and 40 healthy controls (HCs) using the spatially unbiased atlas template of the cerebellum (SUIT). We examined the functional significance of cerebellar structural abnormalities in relation to cognitive and clinical outcomes in patients.Results: We found that left cerebellar lobules VI and X volumes were lower in FEP patients, compared to HCs. Smaller left lobules VI and X volumes were associated with fewer number of categories completed on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) in patients. In addition, smaller left lobule X volume was related to performance delay on the Trail Making Test (TMT) Part B in patients.Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that cerebellar structural abnormalities are present at the early stage of schizophrenia. We suggest functional associations of cerebellar structural changes with non-verbal executive dysfunctions in FEP.
Highlights
The fundamental role of the cerebellum in higher cognitive processing has recently been highlighted
There were no significant differences between patients and healthy controls (HCs) for sex, age, or handedness
first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients showed delayed reaction time (RT) in the Trail Making Test (TMT) Part A [t(64) = −4.54, p < 0.001] and Part B [t(47) = −4.10, p < 0.001]. The accuracy of both immediate [t(72) = 2.69, p < 0.01] and delayed recall [t(69) = 3.44, p < 0.01] of the ReyOsterrieth Complex Figure Test (RCFT) were lower in FEP patients
Summary
The fundamental role of the cerebellum in higher cognitive processing has recently been highlighted. Neuroimaging studies have further shown that the lateral hemispheres of the posterior cerebellum (lobules VI–IX) and flocculonodular lobe (lobule X) were associated with cognitive functions, while the anterior lobe (lobules I-V) was primarily responsible for motor functions [2, 8,9,10]. Of studies seeking specific cerebellar regional volume deficits in schizophrenia, smaller volumes in the posterior superior lobe, such as lobule VI and Crus I/II, have been reported [19,20,21,22]. Other studies have reported smaller volume in the anterior or posterior inferior lobe, including lobule X [20, 23,24,25]. It is yet to be determined whether cerebellar structure-function relationships are present in schizophrenia
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