Abstract:

본 연구는 정신분열병 환자들을 대상으로 한 DTI 연 구에 SPAM을 적용함으로써, 측두엽 부위의 다양한 영 역에서 ADC값이 증가한 소견을 발견하였다. 그리고 이 를 통해, ADC값의 증가가 뇌의 피질 위축(cortical brain atrophy)을 반영한다는 최근 가설을 지지하며, 회백질과 백질이 공동으로 관여하는 신경병리와도 관련될 가능성 을 제시한다.

Objectives:

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies of schizophrenia, thus far, have mainly focused on white matter abnormalities reflected in anisotropy indices such as fractional anisotropy (FA), but recently, new implications of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) have been proposed. This is, to our knowledge, the first study to analyze ADC maps of schizophrenic patients using statistical parametric anatomical mapping (SPAM).

Methods:

DTI was performed in 20 schizophrenic patients and an equal number of age- and sex-matched healthy controls. ADC maps were then generated, from which 98 volumes of interest were extracted using SPAM. Probability-weighted mean values of ADC were calculated from each volume of interest and compared between the two groups.

Results:

Significantly higher mean ADC values were observed in patients with schizophrenia compared to healthy controls in the following volumes of interest: bilateral hippocampal formation, bilateral uncus, right thalamus, right temporal lobe white matter, right superior temporal gyrus, bilateral insula and right lateral ventricle.

Conclusion:

The results support the recently proposed assertion that regionally increased ADC may reflect cortical brain atrophy. In addition, a new possibility is raised that a neuropathological event involving both the gray and the white matter may also play a role. (J Korean Neuropsychiatr Assoc 2006;45(4):316-323)