Introduction: Childhood-onset schizophrenia with obsessive-compulsive symptoms (COSO) and without obsessive-compulsive symptoms (COS) share considerable overlap in clinical features and genetic risk factors. However, the extent of brain functional abnormalities in COSO and COS is poorly understood.
Material and methods: A total of 51 first-episode childhood schizophrenic patients and 30 healthy age- and sex-matched controls were recruited. We used the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale to divide patients into COSO (n = 21) and COS (n = 30) groups. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging images were obtained using a gradient-echo echo-planar imaging sequence. Voxel-based analysis of amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) maps between the two groups was performed.
Results: The COS group showed significantly increased ALFF in the right caudate body, middle temporal gyrus and inferior parietal lobule (p < 0.05), while showing decreased ALFF in the left cerebellum posterior lobe (p < 0.05). The COSO group showed significantly increased ALFF in the left and right frontal lobe, cerebellum posterior lobe and precuneus (p < 0.05). When comparing the two groups, COSO showed significantly higher ALFF in the left cerebellum posterior lobe, frontal lobe, supramarginal gyrus, precuneus, right inferior frontal gyrus and medial frontal gyrus (p < 0.05). Interestingly, significantly lower ALFF was found in the right fusiform gyrus, corpus callosum and inferior parietal lobule in the group of patients with obsessive-compulsive symptoms (p < 0.05).
Conclusions: Our findings increase the understanding of the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and may provide imaging evidence for early diagnosis of COSO or COS.
Keywords: amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation; childhood; compulsive; schizophrenia.