T93. DISRUPTED WHITE MATTER INTEGRITY OF THE SUPERIOR CEREBELLAR PEDUNCLE IS ASSOCIATED WITH NEUROCOGNITIVE IMPAIRMENTS IN PATIENTS WITH RECENT-ONSET SCHIZOPHRENIA

• Published in: Schizophrenia bulletin Vol. 45; no. Supplement_2; p. S240
• Main Authors: Jung, Sra, Lee, Arira, Bang, Minji, Lee, Sang-Hyuk
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: US Oxford University Press 09-04-2019
• Subjects: Poster Session I
• ISSN: 0586-7614; 1745-1701
• DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbz019.373

Abstract
Background
Increasing evidence has shown that the cerebellum is involved in cognitive controls in cooperation with higher-order association areas of the cerebrum. The superior cerebellar peduncle (SCP), a major output route from the cerebellum, conveys modulatory signals to the cerebral cortex to fine-tune cognitive mental activities. In line with the concept of ‘cognitive dysmetria,’ we investigated white matter integrity of the SCP and its associations with neurocognitive functioning in patients with recent-onset schizophrenia (ROS).
Methods
Fifty-seven ROS patients (male 20, female 37; mean age = 33.5 ± 9.7 years) and 38 healthy controls (HCs; male 20, female 18; mean age = 33.6 ± 6.1 years) participated in this study. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data were acquired from all participants using a 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. We used the Tract-Based Spatial Statistics software to estimate fractional anisotropy (FA) of the bilateral SCPs. Neurocognitive function was measured using the Korean version of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (K-WAIS) and Rey-Kim memory test in ROS participants.
Results
The FA values of the left SCP were significantly lower in ROS participants compared to HCs (HCs: 0.82 ± 0.02, ROS: 0.81 ± 0.02; F = 6.36, p = 0.013). We found that FA of the right and left SCPs has positive correlations with general intellectual functioning measured using the full-scale intelligence quotient (right: r = 0.415, p = 0.012; left: r = 0.380, p = 0.022) in ROS participants. FA of the right SCP also showed positive correlations with memory encoding (r = 0.330, p = 0.033) and retention (r = 0.325, p = 0.036) of the Rey-Kim memory test in the verbal domain.
Discussion
The present findings suggest that white matter connectivity between the cerebellum and cerebrum is disrupted in patients with schizophrenia. Furthermore, impaired cortico-cerebellar communication through the SCP may contribute to neurocognitive dysfunction, particularly in the verbal domain. Given that neurocognitive impairments is one of the core characteristics of schizophrenia, disrupted cortico-cerebellar connectivity would provide some clues to understand the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.