Assessing brain structural associations with working-memory related brain patterns in schizophrenia and healthy controls using linked independent component analysis

Neuroimage Clin. 2015 Aug 21:9:253-63. doi: 10.1016/j.nicl.2015.08.010. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Schizophrenia (SZ) is a psychotic disorder with significant cognitive dysfunction. Abnormal brain activation during cognitive processing has been reported, both in task-positive and task-negative networks. Further, structural cortical and subcortical brain abnormalities have been documented, but little is known about how task-related brain activation is associated with brain anatomy in SZ compared to healthy controls (HC). Utilizing linked independent component analysis (LICA), a data-driven multimodal analysis approach, we investigated structure-function associations in a large sample of SZ (n = 96) and HC (n = 142). We tested for associations between task-positive (fronto-parietal) and task-negative (default-mode) brain networks derived from fMRI activation during an n-back working memory task, and brain structural measures of surface area, cortical thickness, and gray matter volume, and to what extent these associations differed in SZ compared to HC. A significant association (p < .05, corrected for multiple comparisons) was found between a component reflecting the task-positive fronto-parietal network and another component reflecting cortical thickness in fronto-temporal brain regions in SZ, indicating increased activation with increased thickness. Other structure-function associations across, between and within groups were generally moderate and significant at a nominal p-level only, with more numerous and stronger associations in SZ compared to HC. These results indicate a complex pattern of moderate associations between brain activation during cognitive processing and brain morphometry, and extend previous findings of fronto-temporal brain abnormalities in SZ by suggesting a coupling between cortical thickness of these brain regions and working memory-related brain activation.

Keywords: Default-mode; Fronto-parietal; Functional magnetic resonance imaging; Linked independent component analysis; Schizophrenia; Structure–function.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Brain / pathology*
  • Brain Mapping
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Memory, Short-Term / physiology*
  • Models, Neurological
  • Neural Pathways / blood supply
  • Neural Pathways / pathology*
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Principal Component Analysis
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Reaction Time / physiology
  • Schizophrenia / pathology*
  • Schizophrenia / physiopathology*
  • Schizophrenic Psychology
  • Young Adult