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Volumetric differences in gray and white matter of cerebellar Crus I/ II across the different clinical stages of schizophrenia
Author(s) -
Morimoto Chie,
Uematsu Akiko,
Nakatani Hironori,
Takano Yosuke,
Iwashiro Norichika,
Abe Osamu,
Yamasue Hidenori,
Kasai Kiyoto,
Koike Shinsuke
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
psychiatry and clinical neurosciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1819
pISSN - 1323-1316
DOI - 10.1111/pcn.13277
Subject(s) - white matter , psychosis , psychology , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , gray (unit) , cerebellum , medicine , psychiatry , neuroscience , magnetic resonance imaging , nuclear medicine , radiology
Aim Schizophrenia is considered to be a disorder of progressive structural brain abnormalities. Previous studies have indicated that the cerebellar Crus I/II plays a critical role in schizophrenia. We aimed to investigate how specific morphological features in the Crus I/II at different critical stages of the schizophrenia spectrum contribute to the disease. Methods The study involved 73 participants on the schizophrenia spectrum (28 with ultra‐high risk for psychosis [UHR], 17 with first‐episode schizophrenia [FES], and 28 with chronic schizophrenia) and 79 healthy controls. We undertook a detailed investigation into differences in Crus I/II volume using a semiautomated segmentation method optimized for the cerebellum. We analyzed the effects of group and sex, as well as their interaction, on Crus I/II volume in gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM). Results Significant group × sex interactions were found in WM volumes of the bilateral Crus I/II; the males with UHR demonstrated significantly larger WM volumes compared with the other male groups, whereas no significant group differences were found in the female groups. Additionally, WM and GM volumes of the Crus I/II had positive associations with symptom severity in the UHR group, whereas, in contrast, GM volumes in the FES group were negatively associated with symptom severity. Conclusions The present findings provide evidence that the morphology of Crus I/II is involved in schizophrenia in a sex‐ and disease stage–dependent manner. Additionally, alterations of WM volumes of Crus I/II may have potential as a biological marker of early detection and treatment for individuals with UHR.