White Matter Alterations in Early Stages of Schizophrenia: A Systematic Review of Diffusion Tensor Imaging Studies

ABSTRACT Several lines of evidence suggest that the normal integration of cerebral communication may be compromised in schizophrenia, with white matter (WM) abnormalities being integral to these functional deficits. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a neuroimaging technique which has increasingly be...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of neuroimaging 2014-03, Vol.24 (2), p.101-110
Main Authors: Samartzis, Lampros, Dima, Danai, Fusar-Poli, Paolo, Kyriakopoulos, Marinos
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age
Brain - pathology
diffusion tensor imaging
Diffusion Tensor Imaging - methods
dysconnectivity
Female
high-risk psychosis
Humans
Nerve Fibers, Myelinated - pathology
Neurodevelopment
Neuroimaging
schizophrenia
Schizophrenia - pathology
white matter
White Matter - pathology
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Summary:ABSTRACT Several lines of evidence suggest that the normal integration of cerebral communication may be compromised in schizophrenia, with white matter (WM) abnormalities being integral to these functional deficits. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a neuroimaging technique which has increasingly been used to study WM through quantitative indices of its structural and orientational characteristics. Identifying the WM differences early in the course of schizophrenia may assist in prevention, early diagnosis and identification of treatment targets. In that respect, the aims of the present study were to (a) systematically review WM integrity in the early stages of schizophrenia as inferred by DTI and (b) specifically examine parameters that may affect WM: age, duration of illness and treatment. In summary, DTI studies in early schizophrenia suggest that structural dysconnectivity may be already present in recent‐onset and drug‐naïve patients, as well as in individuals clinically at high risk for developing schizophrenia. Although the pattern of WM differences is not totally consistent frontal, fronto‐temporal and fronto‐limbic connections, with tracts including the superior longitudinal fasciculus, cingulum bundle, uncinate fasciculus and corpus callosum seem to be affected. These differences may depend on the developmental stage of the subjects, the duration of illness and exposure to antipsychotic medication.
ISSN:1051-2284
1552-6569
DOI:10.1111/j.1552-6569.2012.00779.x