AGP：精神分裂症患者特定神经回路异常

日本研究人员最新报告说，他们在利用磁共振成像（MRI）技术分析脑部图像时，发现了与精神分裂症有关的脑内神经回路异常。这一发现将有助于研究精神分裂症新疗法。

京都大学的研究小组着重研究了连接丘脑和额叶的神经回路。丘脑位于脑的中心部，是产生意识的核心器官，被认为负责统管各种信息，而额叶是大脑皮层的一部分，被认为负责思维、演算和情感。

研究小组利用磁共振成像技术拍摄了37名精神分裂症患者和36名健康人的脑部该区域图像，然后进行了分析。结果发现，在健康人的这些神经回路上，神经细胞结合成束状，能够传递信息，但是精神分裂症患者的神经细胞结合比较弱，而且大脑皮层的厚度也较薄。

研究小组准备今后继续研究这些异常与精神分裂症发病之间的详细机制。相关研究成果已发表在美国《普通精神病学文献》杂志网络版上。

doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.2116

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Influence of ZNF804a on Brain Structure Volumes and Symptom Severity in Individuals With Schizophrenia

Thomas H. Wassink, Eric A. Epping, Danielle Rudd, Michael Axelsen, Stephen Ziebell; Frank W. Fleming; Eric Monson, Beng Choon Ho, MD; Nancy C. Andreasen

Context The single-nucleotide polymorphism rs1344706 in the gene ZNF804a has been associated with schizophrenia and with quantitative phenotypic features, including brain structure volume and the core symptoms of schizophrenia. Objective To evaluate associations of rs1344706 with brain structure and the core symptoms of schizophrenia. Design Case-control analysis of covariance. Setting University-based research hospital. Participants Volunteer sample of 335 individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (306 with core schizophrenia) and 198 healthy volunteers. Main Outcome Measures Cerebral cortical gray matter and white matter (WM) volumes (total and frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes), lateral ventricular cerebrospinal fluid volume, and symptom severity from the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms and the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms divided into 3 domains: psychotic, negative, and disorganized. Results The rs1344706 genotype produced significant main effects on total, frontal, and parietal lobe WM volumes (F = 3.98, P = .02; F = 4.95, P = .007; and F = 3.08, P = .05, respectively). In the schizophrenia group, rs1344706 produced significant simple effects on total (F = 3.93, P = .02) and frontal WM volumes (F = 7.16, P < .001) and on psychotic symptom severity (F = 6.07, P = .003); the pattern of effects was concordant with risk allele carriers having larger volumes and more severe symptoms of disease than nonrisk homozygotes. In the healthy volunteer group, risk allele homozygotes had increased total WM volume compared with nonrisk allele carriers (F = 4.61, P = .03), replicating a previously reported association. Conclusions A growing body of evidence suggests that the risk allele of rs1347706 is associated with a distinctive set of phenotypic features in healthy volunteers and individuals with schizophrenia. Our study supports this assertion by finding that specific genotypes of the polymorphism are associated with brain structure volumes in individuals with schizophrenia and healthy volunteers and with symptom severity in schizophrenia.