Microstructural Characterization of White Matter in Schizophrenia

精神分裂症白质的微观结构特征

基本信息

批准号：
7905023
负责人：
MARIANA LAZAR
金额：
$ 25.35万
依托单位：
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
财政年份：
2009
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2009-08-03 至 2013-05-31
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/7905023
关键词：
Affect Anatomy Anisotropy Area Attention Behavioral Brain Brain region Chronic Cognition Cognitive Cognitive deficits Control Groups Data Deformity Delusions Diagnosis Diffusion Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging Disease Disease model Dissection Emotions Fascicle Fiber Functional Imaging Functional disorder Goals Hallucinations High Prevalence Human Image Imaging Techniques Impaired cognition Impairment Investigation Knowledge Language Length Life Lobe Magnetic Resonance Imaging Maps Measures Memory Mental disorders Methods Metric Modeling Morus Motor Nature Outcome Parietal Parietal Lobe Participant Pathology Pathway interactions Patients Pattern Property Schizophrenia Short-Term Memory Social Interaction Techniques Temporal Lobe Testing Tissues United States base behavior measurement brain pathway cognitive control cognitive function disability executive function gray matter improved in vivo insight interest morphometry motor deficit public health relevance white matter white matter change

项目摘要

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling disorder that is characterized by hallucinations, delusions, and motor deficits. In addition, cognitive deficits including problems with attention, language, memory, and the executive functions are also associated with the disorder and greatly affect normal day by day functioning of the schizophrenic patients. Pathological, functional, and morphometric studies have implied that the brain abnormalities that are observed in schizophrenia are associated with macro and microstructural alterations of the white matter pathways connecting different brain regions. Models of fronto-temporal disconnectivity have been proposed to explain some of the deficits observed in schizophrenia. Microstructural integrity of white matter has been extensively investigated using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) techniques and either voxel based morphometry techniques or region of interest approaches. However, findings are rather inconsistent across different studies. Few studies have explored the behavioral correlations of the white matter abnormalities depicted by DTI. The goal of this project is to investigate the microstructure integrity of white matter mater in schizophrenia using both typical DTI measures of microstructural integrity - the mean diffusivity and fractional anisotropy and a new metric - the mean kurtosis, which has shown promise to better discriminate microstructural alterations of white matter. The mean kurtosis will be derived using the Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging technique, a generalization of the DTI formalism. We will also explore the relation between the white matter microstructure and a set of measures describing cognitive function. Two approaches will be undertaken: 1) Voxel based morphometry techniques will be used to explore differences in white microstructure between a group of patients with schizophrenia and a control group of healthy subjects. 2) White matter tractography techniques will be used to segment out the trajectory and extent of the superior longitudinal fasciculus, a white matter tract that connects the prefrontal, temporal, and parietal lobes. Both global and local tract microstructural diffusion measures will be investigated in patients versus the control group. The results of this study may reveal connectivity alterations in specific pathways or brain regions and thereby contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms underlying brain dysfunction in schizophrenia. The study of the white matter pathways connecting the frontal and temporal lobe will also contribute to the understanding of the abnormal fronto-temporal functional connectivity that is generally observed in schizophrenia. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder associated with significant lifelong impairment and high prevalence, affecting more than two millions of people in the United States. This study will investigate the integrity of the white matter pathways that connect functional brain regions responsible for cognitive control. Knowledge of the impaired brain connectivity will provide new insights into the mechanisms that underlie brain dysfunction in schizophrenia and has the potential to improve our ability to better diagnose and assess treatment of this disorder.

描述（由申请人提供）：精神分裂症是一种慢性，严重且残疾的疾病，其特征是幻觉，妄想和运动缺陷。此外，包括注意力，语言，记忆和执行功能在内的认知缺陷也与该疾病有关，并严重影响精神分裂症患者的日常正常功能。病理，功能和形态计量学研究表明，精神分裂症中观察到的脑异常与连接不同大脑区域的白质途径的宏观和微观结构改变有关。已经提出了额颞骨断开的模型来解释精神分裂症中观察到的一些缺陷。使用扩散张量成像（DTI）技术以及基于体素的形态计量学技术或感兴趣的区域方法对白质的微结构完整性进行了广泛的研究。但是，在不同的研究中，发现相当不一致。很少有研究探讨了DTI描述的白质异常的行为相关性。该项目的目的是使用两种典型的DTI微观结构完整性测量方法 - 平均扩散率和分数各向异性和新的度量标准 - 平均峰度（平均峰度），这表明有望更好地区分白色物质的微观结构变化。平均峰度将使用扩散的峰度成像技术（DTI形式主义的概括）得出。我们还将探讨白质微观结构与描述认知功能的一组措施之间的关系。将采用两种方法：1）将使用基于体素的形态计量学技术来探索一组精神分裂症患者与健康受试者对照组的白色微观结构之间的差异。 2）白质拖拉技术将用于分割上纵向筋膜的轨迹和范围，这是一种连接前额叶，颞叶和顶叶的白质道。与对照组相比，将研究全球和局部微观结构扩散措施。这项研究的结果可能揭示了特定途径或大脑区域的连通性改变，从而有助于理解精神分裂症中脑功能障碍的机制。对连接额叶和颞叶连接的白质途径的研究也将有助于理解精神分裂症中通常观察到的异常额颞功能连通性。公共卫生相关性：精神分裂症是一种严重的精神障碍，与终身障碍和高流行率有关，影响了美国超过200万人。这项研究将研究连接负责认知控制的功能性大脑区域的白质途径的完整性。对大脑连通性受损的知识将为精神分裂症中大脑功能障碍的机制提供新的见解，并有可能提高我们更好地诊断和评估该疾病治疗的能力。