A Structural MRI Study Of Aggressive Behaviors In Schizophrenic Patients

Objective: To explore the gray matter changes in first-episode untreatment schizophrenic patients using the voxel-based morphometry(VBM) analysis, and the relationship between the gray matter changes and aggressive behavior in patients with schizophrenia will be explored.Methods: We recruited twenty-four first-episode untreatment schizophrenic patients and twenty-four age and gender-matched healthy controls. We employed PANSS,MOAS and B&P to assess schizophrenic patients. Then a 3.0T magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) scan was conducted for each participant. We explore imaging data with voxel-based morphometry(VBM) approach and explore the neuroanatomical changes in patients. We also investigated the relationship between the gray matter volume and aggressive behaviors in patients with schizophrenia.Results:(1) Compared with the controls, patients with schizophrenia showed no brain area with increased gray matter volume(GMV).(2) Compared with the controls, patients with schizophrenia showed decreased GMV in the right superior temporal pole, the left inferior temporal cortex, the left superior temporal cortex, the right middle occipital cortex, the left inferior occipital cortex, the left cerebellum, the bilateral lingual cortices, the bilateral superior parietal cortices, the bilateral precuneus areas, the bilateral cingula, the bilateral medial superior frontal cortices, the bilateral supplementary motor areas, the bilateral fusiform cortices, the bilateral recti, the bilateral orbitofrontal cortices and the bilateral insular cortices(P<0.05, corrected).(3) We found that the GMV of the left middle cingulum, the left posterior cingulum, the bilateral precuneus areas and the bilateral supplementary motor areas were, respectively, negatively correlated with MOAS scores in patients(P<0.05, corrected).(4) We found no correlation between the GMV and B&P scores in patients.Conclusion:(1) The gray matter volume in patients with schizophrenia is abnormal, and mainly show the decreased GMV.(2) The GMV may be associated with aggressive behaviors in patients with schizophrenia.(3) Our findings suggested that gray matter changes might be related to the underlying neural mechanisms of aggressive behaviors in patients with schizophrenia.