Frontiers in Psychiatry (Jan 2023)

Correlations between cortical gyrification and schizophrenia symptoms with and without comorbid hostility symptoms

  • Stefano Ferracuti,
  • Stefano Ferracuti,
  • Antonio Del Casale,
  • Antonio Del Casale,
  • Andrea Romano,
  • Andrea Romano,
  • Ida Gualtieri,
  • Martina Lucignani,
  • Antonio Napolitano,
  • Martina Nicole Modesti,
  • Martina Nicole Modesti,
  • Andrea Buscajoni,
  • Teodolinda Zoppi,
  • Georgios D. Kotzalidis,
  • Lorenza Manelfi,
  • Eleonora de Pisa,
  • Eleonora de Pisa,
  • Paolo Girardi,
  • Paolo Girardi,
  • Gabriele Mandarelli,
  • Giovanna Parmigiani,
  • Maria Camilla Rossi-Espagnet,
  • Maria Camilla Rossi-Espagnet,
  • Maurizio Pompili,
  • Maurizio Pompili,
  • Alessandro Bozzao,
  • Alessandro Bozzao

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1092784
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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IntroductionInterest in identifying the clinical implications of the neuropathophysiological background of schizophrenia is rising, including changes in cortical gyrification that may be due to neurodevelopmental abnormalities. Inpatients with schizophrenia can show abnormal gyrification of cortical regions correlated with the symptom severity.MethodsOur study included 36 patients that suffered an acute episode of schizophrenia and have undergone structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to calculate the local gyrification index (LGI).ResultsIn the whole sample, the severity of symptoms significantly correlated with higher LGI in different cortical areas, including bilateral frontal, cingulate, parietal, temporal cortices, and right occipital cortex. Among these areas, patients with low hostility symptoms (LHS) compared to patients with high hostility symptoms (HHS) showed significantly lower LGI related to the severity of symptoms in bilateral frontal and temporal lobes.DiscussionThe severity of psychopathology correlated with higher LGI in large portions of the cerebral cortex, possibly expressing abnormal neural development in schizophrenia. These findings could pave the way for further studies and future tailored diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

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