Changes in White Matter Organization in Adolescent Offspring of Schizophrenia Patients

Abstract

Schizophrenia is associated with fronto-striatal network impairments underlying clinical and cognitive symptoms. We previously found disruptions in anatomical pathways, including the tract connecting the left nucleus accumbens and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Similar deficits are observed in unaffected siblings of schizophrenia patients indicating that these deficits are linked to a genetic vulnerability for the disorder. Fronto-striatal tract disruptions may arise during adolescence, preceding the clinical manifestation of the disorder. However, to date no studies have been performed to investigate fronto-striatal tract connections in adolescents who are at increased familial risk for schizophrenia. In this study, we investigate the impact of familial risk on fronto-striatal tract connections using diffusion tensor imaging in 27 adolescent offspring of schizophrenia patients and 32 matched control adolescents, aged 10-18 years. Mean fractional anisotropy (FA) was calculated for the tracts connecting the striatum (caudate nucleus, putamen, nucleus accumbens) and frontal cortex regions (DLPFC, medial orbital frontal cortex, inferior frontal gyrus). As expected, based on siblings data, we found an impact of familial risk on fronto-striatal development: schizophrenia offspring showed increased FA in the tracts connecting nucleus accumbens and DLPFC as compared to control adolescents. Moreover, while FA increased across age in control adolescents, it did not in schizophrenia offspring. We did not find differences in FA in other fronto-striatal tracts. These results indicate altered development of white matter in subjects who are at familial risk for schizophrenia and may precede fronto-striatal white matter alterations in adult schizophrenia patients and siblings.Neuropsychopharmacology accepted article preview online, 21 July 2016. doi:10.1038/npp.2016.130.