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Review
. 2016 Jun;173(3):124-131.
doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2015.03.003. Epub 2015 Mar 26.

Neuroimaging findings from childhood onset schizophrenia patients and their non-psychotic siblings

Anna E Ordóñez  1 , Zoe I Luscher  1 , Nitin Gogtay  2
Affiliations
Review

Neuroimaging findings from childhood onset schizophrenia patients and their non-psychotic siblings

Anna E Ordóñez et al. Schizophr Res. 2016 Jun.

Abstract

Childhood onset schizophrenia (COS), with onset of psychosis before age 13, is a rare form of schizophrenia that represents a more severe and chronic form of the adult onset illness. In this review we examine structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of COS and non-psychotic siblings of COS patients in the context of studies of schizophrenia as a whole. Studies of COS to date reveal progressive loss of gray matter volume and cortical thinning, ventricular enlargement, progressive decline in cerebellar volume and a significant but fixed deficit in hippocampal volume. COS is also associated with a slower rate of white matter growth and disrupted local connectivity strength. Sibling studies indicate that non-psychotic siblings of COS patients share many of these brain abnormalities, including decreased cortical thickness and disrupted white matter growth, yet these abnormalities normalize with age. Cross-sectional and longitudinal neuroimaging studies remain some of the few methods for assessing human brain function and play a pivotal role in the quest for understanding the neurobiology of schizophrenia as well as other psychiatric disorders. Parallel studies in non-psychotic siblings provide a unique opportunity to understand both risk and resilience in schizophrenia.

Keywords: Childhood; Endophenotype; Neuroimaging; Schizophrenia; Siblings.

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Conflict of interest statement

Author Conflicts of Interest: None of the authors have conflicts of interests

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