Schizophrenia Patients Exhibit Brain Connectivity Disruption

Schizophrenia, a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by psychosis, is hypothesized to result from instability in brain connections and functional integration. A new study published in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging discovers changes in functional brain connectivity in people with and without psychosis and schizophrenia, which could aid researchers in understanding the neural basis of this disease (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Disruptions of Hierarchical Cortical Organization in Early Psychosis and Schizophrenia

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Schizophrenia's Impact on Executive Control

The cortex of the brain is arranged hierarchically, with the sensorimotor cortex at one end and multimodal association regions at the other, with the task of integrating incoming sensory information with internal and external sensory inputs. The interruption of this hierarchical signaling may be the cause of executive control loss in schizophrenia.

Alexander Holmes, a Ph.D. candidate at Monash University who led the study, said, "We used brain imaging and novel mathematical techniques to investigate the hierarchical organization of the brains of individuals with early psychosis and established schizophrenia. This organization is important for brain health, as it regulates how we can effectively respond to and process stimuli from the external world."

Brain Imaging Sheds Light on Neural Disruptions and Schizophrenia Progression

Holmes added, "We found that the organizational pattern that differentiates visual and sensorimotor pathways is significantly impaired in individuals with schizophrenia but not in individuals with early psychosis. We then found that this impairment explains the behavioral and clinical symptoms of schizophrenia. Our results highlight that changes in brain organization provide valuable insights into the mechanisms of schizophrenia, helping us better understand the disease and how it progresses."

Cameron Carter, M.D., Editor of Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, said of the work, "These new approaches to test mathematical models of the organization of circuits in the human brain are beginning to reveal the nature of the disruption of neural integration that underlies psychotic symptoms in people with schizophrenia. Targeting these changes offers a new approach to how we think about developing treatments for this often difficult-to-treat illness."

Reference:

1. Disruptions of Hierarchical Cortical Organization in Early Psychosis and Schizophrenia - (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451902223002203?via%3Dihub)

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