Relationships between Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Resting State Functional Connectivity in Patients with Schizophrenia and Healthy Controls: A Preliminary Study.

Matthew J Hoptman,Daniel C Javitt,Kelvin O Lim,Umit Tural,Lauren E Oberlin

doi:10.3390/brainsci12020156

Abstract

Schizophrenia is widely seen as a disorder of dysconnectivity. Neuroimaging studies have examined both structural and functional connectivity in the disorder, but these modalities have rarely been integrated directly. We scanned 29 patients with schizophrenia and 25 healthy control subjects, and we acquired resting state fMRI and diffusion tensor imaging. We used the Functional and Tractographic Connectivity Analysis Toolbox (FATCAT) to estimate functional and structural connectivity of the default mode network. Correlations between modalities were investigated, and multimodal connectivity scores (MCS) were created using principal component analysis. Of the 28 possible region pairs, 9 showed consistent (>80%) tracts across participants. Correlations between modalities were found among those with schizophrenia for the prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate, and lateral temporal lobes, with frontal and parietal regions, consistent with frontotemporoparietal network involvement in the disorder. In patients, MCS correlated with several aspects of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, with higher multimodal connectivity associated with outward-directed (externalizing) behavior and lower multimodal connectivity related to psychosis per se. In this preliminary sample, we found FATCAT to be a useful toolbox to directly integrate and examine connectivity between imaging modalities. A consideration of conjoint structural and functional connectivity can provide important information about the network mechanisms of schizophrenia.

Highlights

Introduction iationsSchizophrenia (SZ) is increasingly thought to be a disorder of brain dysconnectivity [1,2]
This idea is supported by MRI studies showing reduced white matter organization, using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and from other studies showing abnormal resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) in SZ compared to healthy controls
We examined the relationship between resting state functional connectivity and structural connectivity in the DMN, in patients with SZ and healthy controls, using the same ROI pairs in the same anatomical space

Summary

Introduction

Schizophrenia (SZ) is increasingly thought to be a disorder of brain dysconnectivity [1,2] This idea is supported by MRI studies showing reduced white matter organization, using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and from other studies showing abnormal resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) in SZ compared to healthy controls. Many of these abnormalities are widespread throughout the brain, including between hemispheres, and are correlated with behavioral and psychophysiological deficits seen in the disorder, suggesting that they have clinical significance. White matter abnormalities are present in schizophrenia and have clinical relevance

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion