Linked brain connectivity patterns with psychopathological and cognitive phenotypes in drug-naïve first-episode schizophrenia

Hui Sun; Wenjing Zhang; Hengyi Cao; Huaiqiang Sun; Jing Dai; Siyi Li; Jiaxin Zeng; Xia Wei; Biqiu Tang; Qiyong Gong; Su Lui

doi:10.1093/psyrad/kkac006

Linked brain connectivity patterns with psychopathological and cognitive phenotypes in drug-naïve first-episode schizophrenia

Psychoradiology. 2022 Jul 6;2(2):43-51. doi: 10.1093/psyrad/kkac006. eCollection 2022 Jun.

Authors

Hui Sun¹, Wenjing Zhang¹, Hengyi Cao^{1

2

3}, Huaiqiang Sun¹, Jing Dai⁴, Siyi Li¹, Jiaxin Zeng¹, Xia Wei¹, Biqiu Tang¹, Qiyong Gong¹, Su Lui¹

Affiliations

¹ Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 610041 Chengdu, China.
² Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, 11030 Manhasset, NY, USA.
³ Division of Psychiatry Research, Zucker Hillside Hospital, 11004 Glen Oaks, NY, USA.
⁴ Department of Psychoradiology, Chengdu Mental Health Center, 610031 Chengdu, China.

Abstract

Background: Schizophrenia is considered to be a disorder of dysconnectivity characterized by abnormal functional integration between distinct brain regions. Different brain connection abnormalities were found to be correlated with various clinical manifestations, but whether a common deficit in functional connectivity (FC) in relation to both clinical symptoms and cognitive impairments could present in first-episode patients who have never received any medication remains elusive.

Objective: To find a core deficit in the brain connectome that is related to both psychopathological and cognitive manifestations.

Methods: A total of 75 patients with first-episode schizophrenia and 51 healthy control participants underwent scanning of the brain and clinical ratings of behaviors. A principal component analysis was performed on the clinical ratings of symptom and cognition. Partial correlation analyses were conducted between the main psychopathological components and resting-state FC that were found abnormal in schizophrenia patients.

Results: Using the principal component analysis, the first principal component (PC1) explained 37% of the total variance of seven clinical features. The ratings of GAF and BACS contributed negatively to PC1, while those of PANSS, HAMD, and HAMA contributed positively. The FCs positively correlated with PC1 mainly included connections related to the insula, precuneus gyrus, and some frontal brain regions. FCs negatively correlated with PC1 mainly included connections between the left middle cingulate cortex and superior and middle occipital regions.

Conclusion: In conclusion, we found a linked pattern of FC associated with both psychopathological and cognitive manifestations in drug-naïve first-episode schizophrenia characterized as the dysconnection related to the frontal and visual cortex, which may represent a core deficit of brain FC in patients with schizophrenia.

Keywords: functional connectome; principal correlation analysis; psychopathology; schizophrenia; untreated.