White matter pathway organization of the reward system is related to positive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia

Bracht, Tobias; Horn, Helge Joachim; Strik, Werner; Federspiel, Andrea; Razavi, Nadja; Stegmayer, Katharina; Wiest, Roland; Dierks, Thomas; Müller, Thomas Jörg; Walther, Sebastian (2014). White matter pathway organization of the reward system is related to positive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research, 153(1-3), pp. 136-142. Elsevier 10.1016/j.schres.2014.01.015

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The reward systemin schizophrenia has been linked to the emergence of delusions on the one hand and to negative symptoms such as affective flattening on the other hand. Previous Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) studies reported white matter microstructure alterations of regions related to the reward system. The present study aimed at extending these findings by specifically investigating connection pathways of the reward system in schizophrenia. Therefore, 24 patients with schizophrenia and 22 healthy controls matched for age and gender underwent DTI-scans. Using a probabilistic fiber tracking approachwe bilaterally extracted pathways connecting the ventral tegmental area (VTA) with the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), themedial and lateral orbitofrontal cortices
(mOFC, lOFC), the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and the amygdala; as well as pathways connecting NAcc with mOFC, lOFC, dlPFC and amygdala resulting in a total of 18 connections. Probability indices forming part of a bundle of interest (PIBI) were compared between groups using independent t-tests. In 6 connection pathways PIBI-valueswere increased in schizophrenia. In 3 of these pathways the spatial extension of connection pathways was decreased. In schizophrenia patients, there was a negative correlation of PIBI-values and PANSS negative scores in the left VTA–amygdala and in the left NAcc–mOFC connection. A sum score of delusions and hallucinations correlated positively with PIBI-values of the left amygdala–NAcc connection. Structural organization of specific segments ofwhite matter pathways of the reward systemin schizophrenia may contribute to the emergence of delusions and negative symptoms in schizophrenia.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

04 Faculty of Medicine > University Psychiatric Services > University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
04 Faculty of Medicine > University Psychiatric Services > University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy > Management
04 Faculty of Medicine > University Psychiatric Services > University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy > UPD Murtenstrasse
04 Faculty of Medicine > University Psychiatric Services > University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy > Psychiatric Neurophysiology [discontinued]
04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Radiology, Neuroradiology and Nuclear Medicine (DRNN) > Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology
04 Faculty of Medicine > Faculty Institutions > Teaching Staff, Faculty of Medicine

UniBE Contributor:

Bracht, Tobias, Horn, Helge Joachim, Strik, Werner, Federspiel, Andrea, Razavi, Nadja, Stegmayer, Katharina Deborah Lena, Wiest, Roland Gerhard Rudi, Dierks, Thomas, Müller, Thomas (A), Walther, Sebastian

Subjects:

600 Technology > 610 Medicine & health

ISSN:

0920-9964

Publisher:

Elsevier

Language:

English

Submitter:

Sebastian Walther

Date Deposited:

08 Aug 2014 11:52

Last Modified:

29 Mar 2023 23:33

Publisher DOI:

10.1016/j.schres.2014.01.015

PubMed ID:

24485586

BORIS DOI:

10.7892/boris.45110

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/45110

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