Department of Neuroradiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, 81675, Germany.
TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, 81675, Germany.
Neuropsychopharmacology. 2018 Oct;43(11):2239-2248. doi: 10.1038/s41386-018-0059-z. Epub 2018 Apr 12.
Schizophrenia is characterized by hypoconnectivity or decreased intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) between prefrontal-limbic cortices and thalamic nuclei, as well as hyperconnectivity or increased iFC between primary-sensorimotor cortices and thalamic nuclei. However, cortico-thalamic iFC overlaps with larger, structurally defined cortico-striato-pallido-thalamo-cortical (CSPTC) circuits. If such an overlap is relevant for intrinsic hypo-/hyperconnectivity, it suggests (i) that patterns of cortico-subcortical hypo-/hyperconnectivity extend consistently from thalamus to basal ganglia nuclei; and (ii) such consistent hypo-/hyperconnectivity might link distinctively but consonant with different symptom dimensions, namely cognitive and psychotic impairments. To test this hypothesis, 57 patients with schizophrenia and 61 healthy controls were assessed by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and clinical-behavioral testing. IFC from intrinsic cortical networks into thalamus, striatum, and pallidum was estimated by partial correlations between fMRI time courses. In patients, the salience network covering prefrontal-limbic cortices was hypoconnected with the mediodorsal thalamus and ventral parts of striatum and pallidum; these iFC-hypoconnectivity patterns were correlated both among each other and specifically with patients' impaired cognition. In contrast, the auditory-sensorimotor network covering primary-sensorimotor cortices was hyperconnected with the anterior ventral nucleus of the thalamus and dorsal parts of striatum and pallidum; these iFC-hyperconnectivity patterns were likewise correlated among each other and specifically with patients' psychotic symptoms. The results demonstrate that prefrontal-limbic hypoconnectivity and primary-sensorimotor hyperconnectivity extend consistently across subcortical nuclei and specifically across distinct symptom dimensions. Data support the model of consistent cortico-subcortical hypo-/hyperconnectivity within CSPTC circuits in schizophrenia.
精神分裂症的特征是前额叶-边缘皮质与丘脑核之间的连接减少或内在功能连接（iFC）减少，以及初级感觉运动皮质与丘脑核之间的连接增加或 iFC 增加。然而，皮质-丘脑 iFC 与更大的、结构定义明确的皮质-纹状体-苍白球-丘脑-皮质（CSPTC）回路重叠。如果这种重叠与内在的低/高连接有关，那么它表明：（i）皮质下低/高连接模式从丘脑延伸到基底节核；（ii）这种一致的低/高连接可能与不同的症状维度一致，但与不同的症状维度一致，即认知和精神病学障碍。为了检验这一假设，对 57 名精神分裂症患者和 61 名健康对照者进行了静息态功能磁共振成像（fMRI）和临床行为测试。通过 fMRI 时间序列之间的偏相关来估计从内在皮质网络到丘脑、纹状体和苍白球的 iFC。在患者中，覆盖前额叶-边缘皮质的突显网络与中脑背侧丘脑和纹状体腹侧和苍白球的 iFC 连接减少；这些 iFC 连接减少模式相互之间以及与患者认知障碍的特异性相关。相比之下，覆盖初级感觉运动皮质的听觉感觉运动网络与丘脑前腹核和纹状体背侧以及苍白球的 iFC 连接增加；这些 iFC 连接增加模式相互之间以及与患者的精神病症状特异性相关。结果表明，前额叶-边缘皮质的连接减少和初级感觉运动皮质的连接增加在皮质下核中一致延伸，特别是在不同的症状维度中一致延伸。数据支持在精神分裂症中 CSPTC 回路中一致的皮质下低/高连接模型。
