Orbitofrontal sulcal patterns in catatonia

Abstract

Background Catatonia is a psychomotor syndrome frequently observed in disorders with neurodevelopmental impairments, including psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) has been repeatedly associated with catatonia. It presents with an important interindividual morphological variability, with three distinct H-shaped sulcal patterns, types I, II, and III, based on the continuity of the medial and lateral orbital sulci. Types II and III have been identified as neurodevelopmental risk factors for schizophrenia. The sulcal pattern of the OFC has never been investigated in catatonia despite the role of the OFC in the pathophysiology and the neurodevelopmental component of catatonia. Methods In this context, we performed a retrospective analysis of the OFC sulcal pattern in carefully selected homogeneous and matched subgroups of schizophrenia patients with catatonia (N = 58) or without catatonia (N = 65), and healthy controls (N = 82). Results Logistic regression analyses revealed a group effect on OFC sulcal pattern in the left (χ 2 = 18.1; p < .001) and right (χ 2 = 28.3; p < .001) hemispheres. Catatonia patients were found to have more type III and less type I in both hemispheres compared to healthy controls and more type III on the left hemisphere compared to schizophrenia patients without catatonia. Conclusion Because the sulcal patterns are indirect markers of early brain development, our findings support a neurodevelopmental origin of catatonia and may shed light on the pathophysiology of this syndrome.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Study of Catatonia: Use of DWI and Resting State fMRI

“…Лобно-теменная сеть включает верхнюю, среднюю, медиальную и нижнюю лобную кору, а также орбитофронтальную кору (ОФК), ответственную за когнитивный контроль обработки эмоций [45]. ОФК может играть значимую роль в патологии кататонии, связанной с изменениями эмоциональной регуляции и когнитивным контролем [25,46,47].…”

Morphological patterns and spatial probability maps of the inferior frontal sulcus in the human brain

“…Future research that aims to shed light on the anatomo‐functional correlates of this region by linking the sulcal morphology to function at the level of the individual may also benefit from the current morphological descriptions. Additionally, the morphological patterns and features identified could contribute to the identification of potential diagnostic markers for neurological disorders and syndromes (e.g., Attali et al, 2024). Finally, the anatomical details provided in the present study have translational applications to neuronavigation in the context of brain surgery (Tomaiuolo et al, 2022; Tomaiuolo & Giordano, 2016), where sulci can be used as anatomical landmarks to plan the surgical approach and guide intraoperative brain resections.…”