Brain Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Joint Independent Component Analysis in Schizophrenic Patients

Abstract

Background: In past magnetic resonance imaging studies, normal participants and schizophrenia patients have usually been compared using imaging processing modes with only one parameter. A more extensive evaluation of significant differences between gray and white matter in Schizophrenic patents was necessary.

Methods: Voxel based morphometry was used to separate brain images into gray matter and white matter. Then, the images were mapped to Montreal Neurological Institute space, and DARTEL analytic template was applied for image calibration with statistical parametric mapping. Finally, joint independent component analysis was employed to analyze the gray and white matter of brain images from Schizophrenic patients and normal controls. In this study, joint independent component analysis was used to discriminate clinical differences in magnetic resonance imaging signals between Schizophrenic patients and normal controls.

Results: Region of interest analyses has repeatedly shown gray matter reduction in the superior temporal gyrus of Schizophrenic patients.

Conclusion: These results strongly support previous studies regarding brain volume in schizophrenic patients. The connection networks in frontal and temporal lobes evidently did not differ between normal participants and schizophrenia patients.

Keywords: Joint independent component analysis; magnetic resonance imaging; patients; schizophrenia; statistical parametric mapping; voxel based morphometry.