Psychiatry Investig.
2019 Mar;16(3):234-243. 10.30773/pi.2018.10.14.1.
Gray Matter Microstructural Abnormalities and Working Memory Deficits in Individuals with Schizophrenia
- Affiliations
-
- 1Department of Clinical & Counseling Psychology, Graduate School of Psychological Service, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- 2Department of Psychiatry, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea. js_lee@amc.seoul.kr
- 3Republic of Korea Marine Corps Education and Training Center, Pohang, Republic of Korea.
- 4Department of Psychology, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- KMID: 2447263
- DOI: http://doi.org/10.30773/pi.2018.10.14.1
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
Working memory impairments serve as prognostic factors for patients with schizophrenia. Working memory deficits are mainly associated with gray matter (GM) thickness and volume. We investigated the association between GM diffusivity and working memory in controls and individuals with schizophrenia.
METHODS
T1 and diffusion tensor images of the brain, working memory task (letter number sequencing) scores, and the demographic data of 90 individuals with schizophrenia and 97 controls were collected from the SchizConnect database. T1 images were parcellated into the 68 GM Regions of Interest (ROI). Axial Diffusivity (AD), Fractional Anisotropy (FA), Radial Diffusivity (RD), and Trace (TR) were calculated for each of the ROIs.
RESULTS
Compared to the controls, schizophrenia group showed significantly increased AD, RD, and TR in specific regions on the frontal, temporal, and anterior cingulate area. Moreover, working memory was negatively correlated with AD, RD, and TR in the lateral orbitofrontal, superior temporal, inferior temporal, and rostral anterior cingulate area on left hemisphere in the individuals with schizophrenia.
CONCLUSION
These results demonstrated GM microstructural abnormalities in the frontal, temporal, and anterior cingulate regions of individuals with schizophrenia. Furthermore, these regional GM microstructural abnormalities suggest a neuropathological basis for the working memory deficits observed clinically in individuals with schizophrenia.
