Journal article

Authors list: Naegele, Felix L.; Pasternak, Ofer; Bitzan, Lisa, V; Mussmann, Marius; Rauh, Jonas; Kubicki, Marek; Leicht, Gregor; Shenton, Martha E.; Lyall, Amanda E.; Mulert, Christoph

Publication year: 2021

Pages: 214-227

Journal: The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry

Volume number: 22

Issue number: 3

ISSN: 1562-2975

eISSN: 1814-1412

Open access status: Hybrid

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1080/15622975.2020.1775890

Publisher: Taylor and Francis Group

Abstract: 
Objectives It is important to find biomarkers associated with transition to illness in individuals at clinical high-risk for psychosis (CHR). Here, we use free-water imaging, an advanced diffusion MRI technique, to identify white matter alterations in the brains of CHR subjects who subsequently develop psychosis (CHR-P) compared to those who do not (CHR-NP). Methods Twenty-four healthy controls (HC) and 30 CHR individuals, 8 of whom converted to schizophrenia after a mean follow-up of 15.16 months, received baseline MRI scans. Maps of fractional anisotropy (FA), FA of cellular tissue (FA(T)), and extracellular free-water (FW) were extracted using tract-based spatial statistics after which voxel-wise non-parametric group statistics and correlations with symptom severity were performed. Results There were no significant differences between HCs and the combined CHR group. However, prior to conversion, CHR-P showed widespread lower FA compared to CHR-NP (p(FWE)< 0.05). FA changes in CHR-P were associated with significantly lower FA(T)and higher FW, compared to CHR-NP. Positive symptoms correlated significantly with diffusion parameters in similar regions as those discriminating CHR-P from CHR-NP. Conclusions Our study suggests that cellular (FA(T)) and extracellular (FW) white matter alterations are associated with positive symptom severity and indicate an elevated illness risk among CHR individuals.

Harvard Citation style: Naegele, F., Pasternak, O., Bitzan, L., Mussmann, M., Rauh, J., Kubicki, M., et al. (2021) Cellular and extracellular white matter alterations indicate conversion to psychosis among individuals at clinical high-risk for psychosis, The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry, 22(3), pp. 214-227. https://doi.org/10.1080/15622975.2020.1775890

APA Citation style: Naegele, F., Pasternak, O., Bitzan, L., Mussmann, M., Rauh, J., Kubicki, M., Leicht, G., Shenton, M., Lyall, A., & Mulert, C. (2021). Cellular and extracellular white matter alterations indicate conversion to psychosis among individuals at clinical high-risk for psychosis. The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry. 22(3), 214-227. https://doi.org/10.1080/15622975.2020.1775890