Brain structure in different psychosis risk groups in the Northern Finland 1986 Birth Cohort

Abstract

We tested the hypothesis that family risk for psychosis (FR) and clinical risk for psychosis (CR) are associated with structural brain abnormalities, with increased deficits in those at both family risk and clinical risk for psychosis (FRCR). The study setting was the Oulu Brain and Mind Study, with subjects drawn from the Northern Finland 1986 Birth Cohort (n=9479) using register and questionnaire based screening, and interviews using the Structured Interview for Prodromal Symptoms. After this procedure, 172 subjects were included in the study, classified as controls (n=73) and three risk groups: FR excluding CR (FR, n=60), CR without FR (CR, n=26), and individuals at both FR and CR (FRCR, n=13). T1-weighted brain scans were acquired and processed in a voxel-based analysis using permutation-based statistics. In the comparison between FRCR versus controls, we found lower grey matter volume (GMV) in a cluster (1689 voxels at -4.00, -72.00,-18.00 mm) covering both cerebellar hemispheres and the vermis. This cluster was subsequently used as a mask to extract mean GMV in all four groups: FR had a volume intermediate between controls and FRCR. Within FRCR there was an association between cerebellar cluster brain volume and motor function. These findings are consistent with an evolving pattern of cerebellar deficits in psychosis risk with the most pronounced deficits in those at highest risk of psychosis.

The Cerebellum: Adaptive Prediction for Movement and Cognition

“…Reduced grey matter volume across the cerebellum has been reported in patients with in schizophrenia [140, 141], although there is also a report of increased vermis volume in individuals with positive psychotic symptoms and thought disorder [142]. Reduced rsFC is found between bilateral cerebellar lobules IV and V and the dorsal attention network [143], and between cerebellum and thalamus [144].…”

Central executive network in young people with familial risk for psychosis — The Oulu Brain and Mind Study

“…In our earlier MRI study with this same sample we did not find any structural changes or disruptions in white matter integrity (Roman-Urrestarazu et al, 2014;Koivukangas et al, manuscript). It is suggested that structural changes with FR may occur later during the onset process of psychosis (Pantelis et al, 2003).…”

Case report and systematic review of cerebellar vermis alterations in psychosis

“…Interestingly, Joyal et al (2004) also reported selective reductions in the inferior vermis in 19 SCZ patients compared to 19 HC whereas Segarra et al (2008) found a reduction in the total gray matter volume of the cerebellar vermis in adult patients compared to age-and gender-matched HC, respectively. Notably, cerebellar deficits have also been observed in subjects at psychotic risk in a study carried out by (Roman-Urrestarazu et al, 2014). Indeed, the authors highlighted a cluster of lower gray matter at the cerebellar vermis level, in patients with both clinical and familiar risk of psychosis (Roman-Urrestarazu et al, 2014) .…”