Cognitive Subtypes of Schizophrenia Characterized by Differential Brain Volumetric Reductions and Cognitive Decline

Abstract

Using an independent sample, we obtained proportions in each IQ-based subgroup that were similar to our previous work. Inferior parietal volume reduction was characteristic of schizophrenia relative to controls, and the severely deteriorated IQ group had widespread volumetric reductions. Classifying cognitive heterogeneity in schizophrenia provides a platform to better characterize the neurobiological underpinnings of the illness and its treatment.

Brain morphological and functional features in cognitive subgroups of schizophrenia

“…In this study, we replicated altered brain structures between cognitive subgroups based on IQ decline in schizophrenia, consistent with previous findings, in a larger cohort . Moreover, we observed possible hyper‐ and hypoconnectivities between subcortical regions and a broad range of brain regions in patients in different cognitive subgroups.…”

“…In this study, we revealed that the deteriorated patients with schizophrenia had a broader range of changes in brain structures and functional connectivity than the preserved patients with schizophrenia. We confirmed increased left lateral ventricle and left pallidum volume and decreased bilateral hippocampus, left precentral gyrus, right rostral middle frontal gyrus, and bilateral superior frontal gyrus volume in deteriorated and preserved patients compared to controls in a cohort with a larger sample size than that in previous studies, suggesting that these brain structural alterations in schizophrenia were not specific to cognitive subgroups. We also revealed that reductions in whole brain gray matter, total cortical gray matter, right lateral ventricle, right fusiform gyrus, left pars orbitalis gyrus, right pars triangularis, left superior temporal gyrus and left insula volumes, and bilateral cortical thickness were characteristic brain structural alterations in the deteriorated cognitive subgroup.…”

“…reported that patients with schizophrenia had significantly reduced inferior parietal volume compared to that of healthy controls (HC). The severely deteriorated schizophrenia group showed significantly reduced total hippocampus, precuneus, lingual gyrus, and superior temporal gray matter volumes relative to those of the preserved group . In this way, the cognitive subgroups of people with schizophrenia according to a decline in IQ could be underpinned by different brain morphologies .…”

“…They also reported that patients with schizophrenia with a preserved IQ showed reduced cortical gray matter volume and cortical thickness . Weinberg et al . reported that patients with schizophrenia had significantly reduced inferior parietal volume compared to that of healthy controls (HC).…”

“…This variability seems to suggest potential heterogeneity in the neuropathology of schizophrenia based on cognitive status. Furthermore, the following two studies reported that there were different alterations in brain structures in patients with schizophrenia classified according to these cognitive subgroups . Czepielewski et al .…”