Diffusion-based Neuroanatomical Connectivity:Neuropsychiatric Application

• Main Authors: Kun-Hsien Chou, 周坤賢
• Other Authors: Woei-Chyn Chu
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2005
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/89793961645399777008

碩士 === 國立陽明大學 === 醫學工程研究所 === 93 === Schizophrenia with life prevalence rate about 1%, is a psychiatric disorders characterized by loss of reality testing, the hearing of auditory hallucinations, decreased motivation, impaired cognition and poor personal interactions. Some hypotheses about the origins of schizophrenia implicate a neurodevelopmental event as early as the second trimester related to cortical connectivity. Magnetic resonance diffusion tensor image (MR-DTI) is a recently developed technique, which can be used to explore the white matter tracts in human brain. By applying diffusion-sensitive magnetic gradients to tag translational motion of water molecules, 3D probability density function of molecular displacement can be reconstructed from the measured DTI data. By applying MR-DTI, we adopt a quantitative method that gives direct insight into the neural connectivity of the brain white matter. Five patients with schizophrenia and fourteen healthy volunteers underwent DTI scan . Data were analyzed using a voxel-based image analysis non hypothesis driven method. We aim to use fractional anisotropy index to map brain regions with neuronal disruption of schizophrenia patients. We found in schizophrenic patients, FA was reduced in frontal lobe. This finding supports the views that frontal region white matter abnormalities occur in schizophrenia.