精神分裂症神经软体征关联的多模态脑网络纵向研究

Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder with unknown cause and often occurs in young adults. Neurological soft signs (NSS), i.e., minor behavioral deficits, are the target features of schizophrenia. Some studies demonstrated that NSS in schizophrenia were associated with brain structural abnormalities. However, most of previous studies considered brain structures as independent anatomical units and ignored structural covariances and functional connections across brain areas. Thus, it is still lack of knowledge in the association between NSS and brain networks as well as functional characteristics, and little is known about its dynamical characteristics. Therefore, based on our previous work in this area, the present project will focus on the association between NSS and brain networks and its dynamical characteristics by assessing NSS and utilizing multi-modal imaging tools to construct brain structural and functional networks as well as performing an 8-week and one-year longitudinal study in schizophrenia. The results of this project will not only reflect functional disorders related to NSS, but also provide a new perspective for elucidating pathological mechanism in schizophrenia.

精神分裂症是一类起因未明的重性精神障碍，多在青壮年期发病。神经软体征系指一系列微小的行为损伤表现，是精神分裂症的标志性特征。一些研究表明精神分裂症患者神经软体征受损与脑结构异常相关，但以往研究多把脑结构区域看成独立的解剖单元，而忽略了脑区间的共变性及功能连接性，对精神分裂症神经软体征所关联的脑网络及其功能特征尚缺乏了解，其动态变化特征知之甚少。基于此，本项目在课题申请人既往研究基础上，拟对精神分裂症软体征量化测量，运用多模态磁共振成像工具来构建相应脑结构及其功能网络，并对患者开展8周治疗的短期随访和一年的纵向追踪研究，解析精神分裂症神经软体征与脑网络的关联及其动态变化特征。本项目研究结果将不仅能更直接反映神经软体征相关的脑功能障碍，也将为进一步深入探索精神分裂症的发病机理提供新视角。

在本项目的支持下，我们完成了神经软体征中文版的修订以及信效度的检.验。并进一步在精神分裂症患者以及正常被试中探索神经软体征相关的多模态脑结构、功能网络特征。我们的研究结果表明，神经软体征在正常被试和精神分裂症中有不同的脑结构、功能网络特征，并且神经软体征在精神分裂症的神经软体征相关联的脑网络模式涉及到精神分裂症疾病异常的脑网络连接环路，此研究结果不仅表明神经软体征可以作为精神分裂症的一个标志性特征，也为进一步理解神经软体征的病理特征提供新视角。.基于此项目的结果已发表三篇SCI论文，其中一篇发表在医学一区杂志Schizophrenia Bulletin上（5年影响因子8.05）.