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. 2023 Jan 4:13:1092784.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1092784. eCollection 2022.

Correlations between cortical gyrification and schizophrenia symptoms with and without comorbid hostility symptoms

Stefano Ferracuti  1   2 , Antonio Del Casale  3   4 , Andrea Romano  5   6 , Ida Gualtieri  5 , Martina Lucignani  7 , Antonio Napolitano  7 , Martina Nicole Modesti  4   5 , Andrea Buscajoni  5 , Teodolinda Zoppi  5 , Georgios D Kotzalidis  5 , Lorenza Manelfi  5 , Eleonora de Pisa  4   5 , Paolo Girardi  3   4 , Gabriele Mandarelli  8 , Giovanna Parmigiani  1 , Maria Camilla Rossi-Espagnet  5   8 , Maurizio Pompili  4   5 , Alessandro Bozzao  5   6
Affiliations

Correlations between cortical gyrification and schizophrenia symptoms with and without comorbid hostility symptoms

Stefano Ferracuti et al. Front Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Introduction: Interest in identifying the clinical implications of the neuropathophysiological background of schizophrenia is rising, including changes in cortical gyrification that may be due to neurodevelopmental abnormalities. Inpatients with schizophrenia can show abnormal gyrification of cortical regions correlated with the symptom severity.

Methods: Our study included 36 patients that suffered an acute episode of schizophrenia and have undergone structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to calculate the local gyrification index (LGI).

Results: In the whole sample, the severity of symptoms significantly correlated with higher LGI in different cortical areas, including bilateral frontal, cingulate, parietal, temporal cortices, and right occipital cortex. Among these areas, patients with low hostility symptoms (LHS) compared to patients with high hostility symptoms (HHS) showed significantly lower LGI related to the severity of symptoms in bilateral frontal and temporal lobes.

Discussion: The severity of psychopathology correlated with higher LGI in large portions of the cerebral cortex, possibly expressing abnormal neural development in schizophrenia. These findings could pave the way for further studies and future tailored diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

Keywords: gyrification; hostility; magnetic resonance imaging; neuroimaging; psychosis; schizophrenia.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. In the last three years, PG has received consultation fees from Angelini, Janssen, Lundbeck, and Otsuka, which did not influence the content of this manuscript. MP has received lecture or advisory board honoraria or engaged in clinical trial activities with Angelini, Lundbeck, Janssen, Otsuka, Italfarmaco, and Allergan, which did not influence the content of this manuscript. ADC has received lecture or advisory board honoraria or engaged in clinical trial activities with Fidia that did not influence the content of this manuscript.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Total BPRS—LGI correlation, whole sample.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Total BPRS—LGI correlation, between-group differences.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
LGI, between-group differences corrected for illness duration (uncorrected p results).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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