Uncinate Fasciculus Findings in Schizophrenia: A Magnetic Resonance Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study

M. Kubicki, C.-F. Westin, S. E. Maier, M. Frumin, P. G. Nestor, D. Salisbury, R. Kikinis, F. A. Jolesz, R. W. McCarley, M. E. Shenton
AmJPsych
Volume 159, Pages 813-820
2002

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Abstract

Objective: Disruptions in connectivity between the frontal and temporal lobes may explain some of the symptoms observed in schizophrenia. Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies, however, have not shown compelling evidence for white matter abnormalities, because white matter fiber tracts cannot be visualized by conventional MRI. Diffusion tensor imaging is a relatively new technique that can detect subtle white matter abnormalities in vivo by assessing the degree to which directionally organized fibers have lost their normal integrity. The first three diffusion tensor imaging studies in schizophrenia showed lower anisotropic diffusion, relative to comparison subjects, in whole-brain white matter, prefrontal and temporal white matter, and the corpus callosum, respectively. Here the authors focus on fiber tracts forming temporal-frontal connections. Method: Anisotropic diffusion was assessed in the uncinate fasciculus, the most prominent white matter tract connecting temporal and frontal brain regions, in 15 patients with chronic schizophrenia and 18 normal comparison subjects. A 1.5-T GE Echospeed system was used to acquire 4- mm-thick coronal line-scan diffusion tensor images. Maps of the fractional anisotropy were generated to quantify the water diffusion within the uncinate fasciculus.

Conventional T2-Weighted Image, Fractional Anisotropy Map(a), and Out-of-Plane Diffusion Map for a Selected Coronal Plane in a Normal Comparison Subject(b).

(a) Deviation from the isotropic diffusion. (b) The conventional image does not show white matter fiber tracts in the brain. The fractional anisotropy map highlights the white matter bundles in the brain, with the red arrows pointing to the uncinate fasciculi. The image on the right displays the out-of-plane component of the diffusion; high intensity corresponds to the fiber tracts perpendicular to the plane, thus differentiating the uncinate fasciculi from the fiber tracts with other directions (again, red arrows point to uncinate fasciculi).

Reference

Kubicki M, Westin CF, Maier SE, Frumin M, Nestor PG, Salisbury D, Kikinis R, Jolesz FA, McCarley RW, Shenton ME. Uncinate fasciculus findings in schizophrenia: A magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging study. AmJPsych 2002;159:813-820.

Bibtex entry

@Article{kubickiAmJPsych02,
  author         = {M. Kubicki and C.-F. Westin and S. E. Maier and M. Frumin  
                   and  P. G. Nestor and D. Salisbury and R. Kikinis and F. A. 
                   Jolesz  and R. W. McCarley and M. E. Shenton},              
  title          = {Uncinate Fasciculus Findings in Schizophrenia: A Magnetic  
                   Resonance  Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study},                 
  journal        = {AmJPsych},                                                 
  year           = 2002,                                                       
  volume         = 159,                                                        
  pages          = {813--820}
}

Grants

NIH P41-RR13218 (NAC), NIH K02-MH01110, NIH R01-MH50747, NIH R01-MH40799, NIH R01-RR11747

Research areas

DTMRI, Tensor