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Abstract #3146

Reduction in Cerebellar Grey Matter in Schizophrenia Detected Using the Spatially Unbiased Infratentorial (SUIT) Toolbox

Florian Schubert1, Simone Khn2, Alexander Romanowski3, Jrgen Gallinat

1Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Berlin, Germany; 2Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; 3Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charit University Medicine, Germany

Structural deficiencies in cerebellum have been associated with schizophrenia, including the schizophrenic signs of thought disorders. Since conventional whole brain voxel-based morphometry shows contradictory results for cerebellum of schizophrenics we used a cerebellum-optimized VBM procedure: the Spatially Unbiased Infratentorial toolbox, to study 29 patients and 45 controls. Patients showed reductions of GM volume in the left cerebellum Crus I/II that correlated negatively with thought disorder and positively with performance in Trail-Making Test. The failure of conventional VBM to detect such effects suggests that previous studies might have underestimated the importance of cerebellar structural deficits in schizophrenia.

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Keywords

abnormalities alterations analyses analyzed arch assessed association bottom brain brief cerebellar cerebellum challenge circularly clinical cluster cognitive coil common computed continuous controls converging coordination coronal corrected correction correlated correlation crucial deficiencies deficit deficits degrees derived detect detected deviations disorder disordered disorders distinct educational employing ensures evidence examinations executive extracted failure fine flexibility fluency functions good graded head healthy hypothesized impaired importance included infra inter investigation isolated lack located making maps medical medicine mental meta methodological might namely negatively neither nominal normalization optimized particular patients peak performance picture polarized poses positively previous previously problems procedure processes processing providing psychiatric psychiatry psychology psychotherapy rating reduction reductions rendering resolution role scale scanner scanning schizophrenia schizophrenic sciences score search sensitivity several severity sided significantly signs spatially speed step structural structures studies subdivisions subject subjects suggested suggests suit supports surrounding surviving symptoms task though thought tissue toolbox trail unbiased underestimated utilizing visual volume whereas whole word