White matter abnormalities in first-episode schizophrenia: a combined structural MRI and DTI study.

This study examined white matter volume change and integrity jointly in patients with first-episode schizophrenia using an empirically derived region of interest approach and novel Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) geometric indices. Structural images from 103 individuals comprising of 39 patients with first-episode schizophrenia and 64 healthy controls were examined for regions of white matter volume change using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). These regions were then further interrogated for group differences employing geometric indices in addition to fractional anisotropy (FA).VBM analyses revealed that patients with first-episode schizophrenia had lower white matter volume in the right temporal-occipital region (p<0.005) corresponding to the inferior longitudinal fasciculus. Further analyses of diffusion anisotropy in the right temporal-occipital region revealed lower planar anisotropy, and higher linear anisotropy (p=0.012) in patients. FA in the implicated region was also found to be correlated with severity of delusions (r=0.47, p=0.004).We confirmed previous findings of lower white matter volume in the region of inferior longitudinal fasciculus. The presence of changes in geometric diffusion indices in the implicated white matter region suggested that pathophysiological processes which underlie cerebral white matter volume reduction may not be reflected by changes in FA. Further research is needed to better understand the nature of these white matter changes and its progression in schizophrenia over time.

Neurobiological evidence for thalamic, hippocampal and related glutamatergic abnormalities in bipolar disorder: a review and synthesis.

The thalamus, hippocampus and related glutamatergic neurotransmission pathways have been implicated in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder. We have reviewed the existing literature over approximately two decades from 1990 to March 2008 for evidence that support structural, functional and chemical neuroimaging abnormalities as well as glutamatergic aberrations of the thalamus and the hippocampus in bipolar disorder. Available structural neuroimaging studies suggest a predominance of negative findings in terms of hippocampal and thalamic volumetric changes in bipolar disorder. Many functional neuroimaging studies however have found activation changes within the thalami, medial temporal lobes, prefrontal regions, and basal ganglia suggesting abnormal limbic-thalamo-cortical circuitry in bipolar disorder. The pattern of findings suggests abnormalities in the regulation of neuronal activity without fixed lesions in the thalamus or hippocampus. This could be related to factors such as cohort heterogeneity, image resolution and whether specific nuclei are examined, or that bipolar disorder is associated with greater neural inefficiency and greater reactivity to emotional stimuli. Chemical neuroimaging studies in bipolar disorder also implicate altered excitatory glutamate neurotransmission as well as cellular and membrane metabolism, especially pronounced within the hippocampus. Within the hippocampus, abnormalities of the ionotropic glutamate receptors were found in bipolar disorder with metabotropic glutamate receptors being relatively understudied. The few immunohistochemical studies performed on the thalamus also suggest the possibility of disturbances of glutamatergic neurotransmission involving intracellular signaling and trafficking processes in bipolar disorder. Overall, the emerging trends from these findings highlight the need for further research to unravel underlying neurobiological changes and clinical correlates of thalamic and hippocampal dysfunction in bipolar disorder.