A preliminary study on the alterations of grey matter volume in patients with early adulthood episode schizophrenia

Objective To investigate the grey matter volume in patients with early adulthood episode (18-25 ages) schizophrenia and the correlations between regional volume and symptom severity. Methods Twenty-one schizophrenia patients with early adulthood episode and twenty-one normal controls matched with age, sex and education were recruited. The diagnosis of schizophrenia was made according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder the Fourth Edition (DSM-Ⅳ) criteria. Each participant received whole brain MRI scans, then the 3D brain structural MRI images were obtained. The grey matter volume difference between patients and controls was analyzed by using the optimized voxel-based morphometry method (VBM). Symptom severity were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and the correlation with the grey matter volume were analyzed in the patients. Results Compared to the normal controls, the patients had multiple brain areas abnormal volume. It showed significant decreased grey matter volume in the left orbital gyrus（t=4.88，P<0.001）, left middle frontal gyrus（t=4.50，P<0.001）, left middle teporal gyrus（t=3.95，P<0.001）, right middle temporal gyrus ( t=3.92，P<0.001）, left superior parietal lobule（t=3.71，P<0.001）, left inferior parietal lobule（t=3.93，P<0.001） and right lingual gyrus/cuneus（t=3.65，P<0.001）. Within the patient group, total score of PANSS was positively correlated with grey matter volume of the right superior parietal lobule, but negatively correlated with the left pons/midbrain; and the positive symptom score was negatively related to grey matter volume of the right inferior parietal lobule; and the negative symptom score was positively correlated with grey matter volume of the right superior parietal lobule, bilateral precuneus, but negatively correlated with grey matter of the left pons/ midbrain; and the common score was negatively correlated with grey matter of the right inferior temporal gyrus, right inferior parietal lobule and left pons/midbrain. Conclusions These preliminary findings support that obvious multiple grey volume abnormality are in patients with early adulthood episode schizophrenia, and the gray matter volume of different brain regions are associated with symptoms severity. Key words: Schizophrenia; Magnetic resonance imaging; Grey matter; Voxel-based morphometry