Structural brain variability in schizophrenia
2025
University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
The clinical diversity of schizophrenia is reflected by structural brain variability. In this meta- and mega-analysis, the structural heterogeneity in schizophrenia was analysed using the ENIGMA dataset of MRI-based brain measures from 22 international sites with over 6,000 individuals. Variability and mean values of five different brain measures - cortical thickness, cortical surface area, cortical folding index, subcortical volume, and fractional anisotropy - were examined in individuals with schizophrenia and healthy control subjects. The results showed that individuals with schizophrenia had greater variability in cortical thickness, surface area, subcortical volume, and fractional anisotropy, particularly in the frontotemporal and subcortical regions. This variability was linked to the severity of psychopathological symptoms, with patients often showing lower mean values in these areas. However, folding patterns in the right caudal anterior cingulate region were more uniform in individuals with schizophrenia. These patterns did not correlate with disease-related factors. The study suggests that while schizophrenia is associated with significant structural variability, the uniform folding in certain brain regions may indicate a less flexible brain development.
Estimating multimodal structural brain variability in schizophrenia spectrum disorders: A worldwide ENIGMA study
Philipp Homan
Added on: 03-25-2025
[1] https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.20230806
