Li Yang, Sun Eryi, Dai Rao, Chen Jian, Huang Haixia, Shan Xiuhong, Li Yuefeng
The Affiliated People's Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang First People's Hospital, No.8, Dianli Road, Zhenjiang, 212002, Jiangsu, China.
Zhenjiang City Health Commission, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China.
BMC Psychiatry. 2024 Dec 27;24(1):951. doi: 10.1186/s12888-024-06411-w.
Schizophrenia (SZ) is a highly heritable and heterogeneous disorder that is often associated with widespread structural brain abnormalities. However, the causes of interindividual differences in genetic susceptibility remain largely unknown. This study attempted to address this important issue by utilizing a prospective study in which unaffected first-degree relatives of SZ (FH+) were recruited.
A total of 198 participants (143 FH + and 55 healthy control participants) were recruited and completed diffusion tensor imaging scans, graph theory analysis and semiannual standardized clinical evaluations within the first three years.
FH + participants who developed SZ (SZ/FH+) had similar but pronounced structural network changes at baseline compared to FH + participants who did not (HC/FH+). Additionally, among network properties, rich-club connections showed a good correlation with the severity of SZ, which was the most significant and stable effect. Logistic regression analyses showed that rich-club connections at baseline had high predictive accuracy for the subsequent occurrence of SZ.
Among healthy people with a familial history of SZ, those who exhibit decreased rich-club connections are susceptible to developing this disease. Our findings may aid in the development of timely interventions to prevent SZ and possibly assist researchers and clinicians in evaluating the efficacy of interventions.
精神分裂症（SZ）是一种具有高度遗传性和异质性的疾病，常与广泛的脑结构异常相关。然而，遗传易感性个体差异的原因在很大程度上仍不清楚。本研究试图通过一项前瞻性研究来解决这一重要问题，该研究招募了未患病的精神分裂症一级亲属（FH+）。
共招募了198名参与者（143名FH+和55名健康对照参与者），并在头三年内完成了扩散张量成像扫描、图论分析和半年一次的标准化临床评估。
与未患精神分裂症的FH+参与者（HC/FH+）相比，发展为精神分裂症的FH+参与者（SZ/FH+）在基线时具有相似但明显的结构网络变化。此外，在网络属性中，富俱乐部连接与精神分裂症的严重程度显示出良好的相关性，这是最显著和稳定的效应。逻辑回归分析表明，基线时的富俱乐部连接对精神分裂症的后续发生具有较高的预测准确性。
在有精神分裂症家族史的健康人群中，那些富俱乐部连接减少的人易患此病。我们的研究结果可能有助于及时制定预防精神分裂症的干预措施，并可能协助研究人员和临床医生评估干预措施的疗效。
