[ad_1]
There may be signs that a person is at risk for developing schizophrenia, but a definitive diagnosis is not established until the first psychotic episode has occurred. But neuroscientists have discovered an abnormal brain pattern related to the development of schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that produces hallucinations, delusions and cognitive impairments. The disorder usually becomes evident in adolescence or early in adulthood. The new research is expected to fuel studies that test the use of cognitive behavioral therapy and neural return as early interventions to combat the symptoms of schizophrenia.
In this new study, MIT neuroscientists working with researchers at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Shanghai Mental Health Center have now identified a pattern of brain activity correlated with the development of schizophrenia.
The researchers believe that the discovery of an abnormal brain pattern could be used as a marker to diagnose schizophrenia earlier.
"You can consider this trend as a risk factor. If we use these types of brain measurements, we may be able to predict a little better that will eventually develop a psychosis, and this could also help to tailor interventions, "said Dr. Guusje Collin, lead author of the report. ; article.
The study, which appears in the newspaper Molecular Psychiatry, was performed at the Shanghai Mental Health Center.
The researchers explain that before experiencing a psychotic episode (characterized by sudden changes in behavior and loss of contact with reality), individuals may experience less severe symptoms, such as thought disorders.
This type of thinking can lead to behaviors such as jumping from one topic to another at random or giving answers unrelated to the original question. Previous studies have shown that about 25% of people with these early symptoms develop schizophrenia.
The researchers followed 158 people aged 13 to 34 who were identified as high risk due to early symptoms. The team also included 93 control subjects, who had no risk factors.
At the start of the study, researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure a type of brain activity involving "idle state networks." Resting state networks consist of regions of the brain that connect and communicate with each other preferably when the brain does not perform any particular cognitive task.
"We wanted to examine the intrinsic functional architecture of the brain to see if we could detect early connectivity or aberrant brain networks in individuals in the high-risk phase of the disease," says Whitfield-Gabrieli.
One year after the initial scans, 23 of the high-risk patients had a psychotic episode and were diagnosed with schizophrenia. In the pre-diagnosis scans of these patients, researchers found a type of activity distinct from healthy control subjects and at-risk individuals who did not develop psychosis.
The researchers found that in most people, a part of the brain called the superior temporal gyrus – involved in auditory processing – is strongly connected to brain regions involved in sensory perception and motor control.
However, in patients who have developed psychosis, the superior temporal gyrus has become more connected to the limbic regions, which are involved in the treatment of emotions. This could help explain why patients with schizophrenia usually suffer from auditory hallucinations, say the researchers.
Meanwhile, high-risk individuals who did not develop psychosis had nearly identical network connectivity to healthy subjects.
The researchers believe that this type of separate brain activity might be useful as an early indicator of schizophrenia, especially since it is possible to observe it in patients even younger.
Source: MIT / EurekAlert
Related Articles
Source link
