APreliminary Study Of VBM And Resting-state FMRI In Young Men With Schizotypal Personality Disorder

Objective To explore the changes of brain function in resting-state and brain graymatter volume(GMV) in the first-episode,drug-naive schizotypal personality disorder(SPD)by using Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI) and three-dimensional structure magnetic resonance imaging. Then,to investigate the relationshipbetween the GMV and testosterone levels in SPD.Materials and methods Used the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory(MMPI) and Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire(SPQ) to screen out theschizophrenia(Sc) from3500male freshmen in grade2011.50SPD met the criteria ofdiagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders.4th ed(DSM-IV) and diagnosed bytwo psychiatrist.19young men with schizotypal personality disorder(19~21y,19.68±0.94y) and17healthy control(HC)(19~22y,20.33±0.97y)were enrolled. Elbowvenous blood was taken from all the subjects to determine the testosterone.All subjectsunderwent EPI and MPRAGE scans to obtain the resting-state fMRI and sagittal3Dhigh resolution T1structure data by using Siemens3.0T Magnetom Verio MR. The datawas analysed by SPM8processing software system based on Matlab2011. Regionalhomogeneity (ReHo) and amplitude of low frequency fluctuation(ALFF) werecalculated with the software of REST. By using two independent samples t-test, wefound the differences between the two groups of ReHo、ALFF and GMV. Then, weanalysed the relationship between the results of VBM and the levels of testosterone. Preliminary results1. ReHo analysis:compared to the healthy control group, ReHo in the SPD groupincreased in the right cuneus,left posterior central gyrus,left inner cingulate gyrus andleft lingual gyrus,difference was statistically significant (p<0.001);decreased in theright middle frontal gyrus, right supplementary motor area, right precuneus andinsula,difference was statistically significant(p<0.001).2. ALFF analysis:compared to the HCs,ALFF in the SPD group increased in theleft calcarine, difference was statistically significant (p<0.005);decreased in the rightmiddle frontal gyrus,difference was statistically significant(p<0.005).3. VBM analysisrc:compared to the HCs, gray matter volume of right rolandicarea, right middle frontal gyrus, right insula,right gyrus rectus,right precuneus and leftpostcentral gyrus,left angular gyrus,left supplementary motor area were increased,difference was statistically significant(p<0.005); gray matter volume ofright dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus and left triangular part of inferior frontal gyruswere decreased, difference was statistically significant (p<0.005).4. Correlation analysis:positive correlation between the levels of testosterone andgray matter volume was found in the right middle frontal gyrus, right insula, rightrolandic area, right middle occipital gyrus, right precuneus and left angulargyrus(p<0.001);negative correlation between levels of testosterone and GMV wasfound in the left putamen（p<0.001）.Conclusions An abnormal emotion-cognition-motion pattern may exists in thedrug-naive young men with schizotypal personality disorder and reshaping mayhappens in some brain regions. The larger GMV in SPD illustrats that a compensatorymechanism may exists to curb the deterioration of disease on the basis of thebrain injury in some extent. The higher serum testosterone levels in SPD mayprompt the development of the brain laterally, it may be the main cause of thecorresponding clinical symptoms in SPD. It is likely to become an objective biologicalindicator to monitor the testosterone levels in schizotypal personality disorder.