Psychopathological Syndromes Across Affective and Psychotic Disorders Correlate With Gray Matter Volumes

Abstract Introduction More than a century of research on the neurobiological underpinnings of major psychiatric disorders (major depressive disorder [MDD], bipolar disorder [BD], schizophrenia [SZ], and schizoaffective disorder [SZA]) has been unable to identify diagnostic markers. An alternative approach is to study dimensional psychopathological syndromes that cut across categorical diagnoses. The aim of the current study was to identify gray matter volume (GMV) correlates of transdiagnostic symptom dimensions. Methods We tested the association of 5 psychopathological factors with GMV using multiple regression models in a sample of N = 1069 patients meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria for MDD (n = 818), BD (n = 132), and SZ/SZA (n = 119). T1-weighted brain images were acquired with 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging and preprocessed with CAT12. Interactions analyses (diagnosis × psychopathological factor) were performed to test whether local GMV associations were driven by DSM-IV diagnosis. We further tested syndrome specific regions of interest (ROIs). Results Whole brain analysis showed a significant negative association of the positive formal thought disorder factor with GMV in the right middle frontal gyrus, the paranoid-hallucinatory syndrome in the right fusiform, and the left middle frontal gyri. ROI analyses further showed additional negative associations, including the negative syndrome with bilateral frontal opercula, positive formal thought disorder with the left amygdala-hippocampus complex, and the paranoid-hallucinatory syndrome with the left angular gyrus. None of the GMV associations interacted with DSM-IV diagnosis. Conclusions We found associations between psychopathological syndromes and regional GMV independent of diagnosis. Our findings open a new avenue for neurobiological research across disorders, using syndrome-based approaches rather than categorical diagnoses.

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Gray matter volume differences specific to formal thought disorder in schizophrenia

Psychiatry Research Neuroimaging ◽

10.1016/j.pscychresns.2010.01.016 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 182 (2) ◽

pp. 183-186 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

Helge Horn ◽

Andrea Federspiel ◽

Miranka Wirth ◽

Thomas J. Müller ◽

Roland Wiest ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gray Matter ◽

Gray Matter Volume ◽

Thought Disorder ◽

Formal Thought Disorder ◽

Matter Volume

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T182. DIAGNOSIS INDEPENDENT SYNDROME RELATED GRAY MATTER VOLUME CHANGES IN A LARGE TRANSDIAGNOSTIC COHORT: RESULTS FROM THE FOR2107 STUDY

Schizophrenia Bulletin ◽

10.1093/schbul/sbaa029.742 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 46 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S301-S301

Author(s):

Frederike Stein ◽

Gunnar Lemmer ◽

Simon Schmitt ◽

Katharina Brosch ◽

Tina Meller ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gray Matter ◽

Negative Symptoms ◽

Gray Matter Volume ◽

Peak Level ◽

Volume Changes ◽

Brain Images ◽

Matter Volume ◽

Thought Disorders ◽

Brain Correlates ◽

The Right

Abstract Background More than a century of research on the neurobiological underpinnings of the Major Psychoses (Schizophrenia SZ, Bipolar Disorder BD, Major Depressive Disorder, Schizoaffective Disorder SZA) has been unable to identify diagnostic “markers”. An alternative approach is to study dimensional psychopathological syndromes that cut across categorical diagnoses. Brain imaging studies on the correlates of syndromes are thus far restricted to one diagnosis, however it is unclear, whether structural brain correlates of syndromes are the same across diagnoses. Previously, we have identified 7 syndromes in n=811 patients suffering from major psychoses, applying a confirmatory factor analysis, including depressed mood, negative symptoms, delusions, formal thought disorders, hallucinations, mania and increased appetite. The aim of the current study was to identify gray matter volume correlates of these syndromes across the major psychoses. Methods We tested the association of the above 7 psychopathological factors with whole brain GMV (voxel-based morphometry) in a sample of n=713 patients meeting DSM-IV criteria for MDD (n=550), BD (n=79), SZ (n=51) and SZA (n=33) (www.for2107.de). T1 weighted brain images were acquired at a 3-Tesla MRI. Images were pre-processed as implemented in the Cat12 (SPM12) toolbox. We performed multiple regression analyses for each factor separately and used the family wise error correction (FWE) to correct for multiple comparisons. Additionally, we tested if local VBM associations were driven by one diagnosis extracting the beta-volumes of the clusters and then comparing the subgroups using ANCOVA. Results The delusion factor was negatively correlated with gray matter volume in the left inferior temporal gyrus/fusiform gyrus (k=138 voxels, x/y/z=-48/-58/-15, t=5.23, p<.05 FWE peak level) and the left amygdala/hippocampus (k=23 voxels, x/y/z=-15/-12/-12, t=4.84, p<.05 FWE peak level). The hallucinatory syndrome was negatively correlated with volume in the right thalamus proper (k=54 voxels, x/y/z=8/-4/-2, t=4.9, p<.05 FWE peak level). Extraction of the beta-volumes revealed no effect of diagnosis (delusions (F (3,708) p=.54; hallucinations (F (3,708) p=.542). Discussion Volume changes underlying psychopathological syndromes are independent of diagnosis. We could confirm previous results from much smaller studies which have restricted themselves to single diagnoses or case control designs. Our findings open a new avenue for neurobiological research of the major psychoses, using syndrome based, dimensional approaches rather than DSM or ICD diagnoses.

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Gray-Matter Correlates of Reading Fluency Deficits: SES Matters, IQ Does Not

10.21203/rs.3.rs-368426/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Marta Martins ◽

Ana Mafalda Reis ◽

São Luís Castro ◽

Christian Gaser

Keyword(s):

Gray Matter ◽

Reading Fluency ◽

Reading Ability ◽

Word Reading ◽

Gray Matter Volume ◽

Angular Gyrus ◽

Semantic Fluency ◽

Matter Volume ◽

Low Iq ◽

The Right

Abstract Brain correlates of reading ability have been intensely investigated. Most studies have focused on single-word reading and phonological processing, but the brain basis of reading fluency remains poorly explored to date. Here, in a voxel-based morphometry study with 8-year-old children, we compared fluent readers (n = 18; 7 boys) with dysfluent readers with normal IQ (n = 18; 6 boys) and with low IQ (n = 18; 10 boys). Relative to dysfluent readers, fluent readers had larger gray matter volume in the right superior temporal gyrus and the two subgroups of dysfluent readers did not differ from each other, as shown in frequentist and Bayesian analyses. Pairwise comparisons showed that dysfluent readers of normal and low IQ did not differ in core reading regions and that both subgroups had less gray matter volume than fluent readers in occipito-temporal, parieto-temporal and fusiform areas. We also examined gray matter volume in matched subgroups of dysfluent readers differing only in socioeconomic status (SES): lower-SES (n = 14; 7 boys) vs. higher-SES (n = 14; 7 boys). Higher-SES dysfluent readers had larger gray matter volume in the right angular gyrus than their lower-SES peers, and the volume of this cluster correlated positively with lexico-semantic fluency. Age, sex, IQ, and gray matter volume of the right angular cluster explained 68% of the variance in the reading fluency of higher-SES dysfluent readers. In sum, this study shows that gray matter correlates of dysfluent reading are independent of IQ and suggests that SES modulates areas sub-serving lexico-semantic processes in dysfluent readers — two findings that may be useful to inform language/reading remediation programs.

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The gray matter volume of the right insula mediates the relationship between symptoms of depression/anxiety and sleep quality among college students

Journal of Health Psychology ◽

10.1177/1359105319869977 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 135910531986997 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Huazhan Yin ◽

Li Zhang ◽

Dan Li ◽

Lu Xiao ◽

Mei Cheng

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Sleep Quality ◽

Gray Matter ◽

Emotional Processing ◽

Gray Matter Volume ◽

Critical Role ◽

Symptoms Of Depression ◽

Matter Volume ◽

The Right ◽

The Relationship

This study investigated the neuroanatomical basis of the association between depression/anxiety and sleep quality among 370 college students. The results showed that there was a significant correlation between sleep quality and depression/anxiety. Moreover, mediation results showed that the gray matter volume of the right insula mediated the relationship between depression/anxiety and sleep quality, which suggested that depression/anxiety may affect sleep quality through the right insula volume. These findings confirmed a strong link between sleep quality and depression/anxiety, while highlighting the volumetric variation in the right insula associated with emotional processing, which may play a critical role in improving sleep quality.

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Stress-induced anatomical changes in white and gray matter: a review of literature

Medycyna Weterynaryjna ◽

10.21521/mw.6400 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 76 (06) ◽

pp. 6400-2020

Author(s):

IWONA ŁUSZCZEWSKA-SIERAKOWSKA ◽

KAMIL JONAK

Keyword(s):

White Matter ◽

Gray Matter ◽

Traumatic Event ◽

Gray Matter Volume ◽

Hippocampal Neurogenesis ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Total Brain Volume ◽

Extreme Stress ◽

Mri Morphometry ◽

The Right

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric abnormality caused by a drastic traumatic event or extreme stress, that exceeds the capability to adapt. There are many papers reporting anatomical brain changes induced by trauma and extreme stress, not only in white matter but in gray matter as well. Extreme stress and trauma are connected with elevation of cortisol level, which may cause damage to the hippocampus and may interfere with the anatomy of the hippocampus as well as its microstructure and cell number. Stress may inhibit the hippocampal neuroregeneration as well as hippocampal neurogenesis and even induce neuronal death within the hippocampus. Diffusor tensor imaging (DTI) is a powerful method enabling the visualization of the microstructure integrity of white matter, to evaluate the changes (rate and directionality) of water diffusion within myelin tracts and provide enhanced images of white matter tracts compared to traditional MRI morphometry images. One can evaluate the differences in white matter using fractional anisotropy (FA), which is a scalar metric of the degree of anisotropy and diffusion direction of water molecules, indicating fiber density, mylination and axon diameter. Many studies report reduced gray matter volume caused by extreme stress or trauma in people both with the diagnosis of PTSD as well as stress-exposed non PTSD in comparison to healthy controls. Studies have revealed reduced volume mostly in the hippocampus but also in regions such as anterior cingulate, corpus callosum, insula, septum pellucidum, subcallosal cortex, amygdala, prefrontal cortex and total brain volume. The right hippocampus may be prone to the effect of stress much more than the left hippocampus. Moreover, comparing trauma-exposed non-PTSD and PTSD participants, they have found volumetric abnormalities only within the right hippocampus among the PTSD group. They suggest an additional pathological process underlying PTSD, connected with the right hippocampus volume.

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Attentional bias to threat and gray mater volume morphology in high anxious individuals

10.1101/2020.10.20.346981 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Joshua M. Carlson ◽

Lin Fang

Keyword(s):

Attentional Bias ◽

Parietal Cortex ◽

Gray Matter ◽

Posterior Parietal Cortex ◽

Gray Matter Volume ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Brain Morphology ◽

Matter Volume ◽

Posterior Parietal ◽

The Right

AbstractIn a sample of highly anxious individuals, the relationship between gray matter volume brain morphology and attentional bias to threat was assessed. Participants performed a dot-probe task of attentional bias to threat and gray matter volume was acquired from whole brain structural T1-weighted MRI scans. The results replicate previous findings in unselected samples that elevated attentional bias to threat is linked to greater gray matter volume in the anterior cingulate cortex, middle frontal gyrus, and striatum. In addition, we provide novel evidence that elevated attentional bias to threat is associated with greater gray matter volume in the right posterior parietal cortex, cerebellum, and other distributed regions. Lastly, exploratory analyses provide initial evidence that distinct sub-regions of the right posterior parietal cortex may contribute to attentional bias in a sex-specific manner. Our results illuminate how differences in gray matter volume morphology relate to attentional bias to threat in anxious individuals. This knowledge could inform neurocognitive models of anxiety-related attentional bias to threat and targets of neuroplasticity in anxiety interventions such as attention bias modification.

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Multimodal Magnetic Resonance Imaging reveals alterations of sensorimotor circuits in restless legs syndrome

SLEEP ◽

10.1093/sleep/zsz171 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 42 (12) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Ambra Stefani ◽

Thomas Mitterling ◽

Anna Heidbreder ◽

Ruth Steiger ◽

Christian Kremser ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽

White Matter ◽

Magnetic Resonance ◽

Gray Matter ◽

Disease Duration ◽

Gray Matter Volume ◽

Resonance Imaging ◽

Iron Storage ◽

Matter Volume ◽

The Right

Abstract Study Objectives Integrated information on brain microstructural integrity and iron storage and its impact on the morphometric profile is not available in restless legs syndrome (RLS). We applied multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) including diffusion tensor imaging, the transverse relaxation rate (R2*), a marker for iron storage, as well as gray and white matter volume measures to characterize RLS-related MRI signal distribution patterns and to analyze their associations with clinical parameters. Methods Eighty-seven patients with RLS (mean age 51, range 20–72 years; disease duration, mean 13 years, range 1–46 years, of those untreated n = 30) and 87 healthy control subjects, individually matched for age and gender, were investigated with multimodal 3T MRI. Results Volume of the white matter compartment adjacent to the post- and precentral cortex and fractional anisotropy (FA) of the frontopontine tract were both significantly reduced in RLS compared to healthy controls, and these alterations were associated with disease duration (r = 0.25, p = 0.025 and r = 0.23, p = 0.037, respectively). Corresponding gray matter volume increases of the right primary motor cortex in RLS (p < 0.001) were negatively correlated with the right FA signal of the frontopontine tract (r = −0.22; p < 0.05). Iron content evaluated with R2* was reduced in the putamen as well as in temporal and occipital compartments of the RLS cohort compared to the control group (p < 0.01). Conclusions Multimodal MRI identified progressing white matter decline of key somatosensory circuits that may underlie the perception of sensory leg discomfort. Increases of gray matter volume of the premotor cortex are likely to be a consequence of functional neuronal reorganization.

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Increased gray matter volume in the right angular and posterior parahippocampal gyri in loving-kindness meditators

Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience ◽

10.1093/scan/nss076 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 34-39 ◽

Cited By ~ 72

Author(s):

Mei-Kei Leung ◽

Chetwyn C. H. Chan ◽

Jing Yin ◽

Chack-Fan Lee ◽

Kwok-Fai So ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gray Matter ◽

Gray Matter Volume ◽

Loving Kindness ◽

Matter Volume ◽

The Right

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Sex-specific association of poor sleep quality with gray matter volume

SLEEP ◽

10.1093/sleep/zsaa035 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 43 (9) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nicola Neumann ◽

Martin Lotze ◽

Martin Domin

Keyword(s):

Sleep Quality ◽

Analysis Of Variance ◽

Gray Matter ◽

Gray Matter Volume ◽

Parahippocampal Gyrus ◽

Poor Sleep ◽

Poor Sleep Quality ◽

Whole Brain ◽

Matter Volume ◽

The Right

Abstract Study Objectives Previous studies were inconsistent with regard to the association of sleep dysfunction on the brain’s gray matter volume (GMV). The current study set out to investigate if there is a moderating effect of sex on the relationship between sleep quality in healthy individuals and GMV. Methods We applied voxel-based morphometry in 1,074 young adults of the “Human Connectome Project.” An analysis of variance with the factors “sleep quality” (good/poor according to the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, cutoff >5) and “sex” (male, female) on GMV was conducted. Additionally, linear relationships between sleep quality and GMV were tested. Results The analysis of variance yielded no main effect for sleep quality, but an interaction between sex and sleep quality for the right superior frontal gyrus. Post hoc t-tests showed that female good sleepers in comparison to female poor sleepers had larger GMV in the right parahippocampal gyrus extending to the right hippocampus (whole-brain family-wise error [FWE]-corrected), as well as smaller GMV in the right inferior parietal lobule (whole-brain FWE-corrected) and the right inferior temporal gyrus (whole brain FWE-corrected). There were no significant effects when comparing male good sleepers to male poor sleepers. Linear regression analyses corroborated smaller GMV in the right parahippocampal gyrus in women with poor sleep quality. Conclusions Poor sleep quality was associated with altered GMV in females, but not in males. Future studies are needed to investigate the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie the sex differences in the association of sleep quality and brain differences found in this study.

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