Compromised white matter tract integrity in schizophrenia inferred from diffusion tensor imaging

Background: Current investigations suggest that brain white matter may be q ualitatively altered in schizophrenia even in the face of normal white matt er volume. Diffusion tensor imaging provides a new approach for quantifying the directional coherence and possibly connectivity of white matter fibers in vivo. Methods: Ten men who were veterans of the US Armed Forces and met the DSM-I V criteria for schizophrenia and 10 healthy, age-matched control men were s canned using magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging and magnetic reson ance structural imaging. Results: Relative to controls, the patients with schizophrenia exhibited lo wer anisotropy in white matter, despite absence of a white matter volume de ficit. In contrast to the white matter pattern, gray matter anisotropy did not distinguish the groups, even though the patients with schizophrenia had a significant gray matter volume deficit. The abnormal white matter anisot ropy in patients with schizophrenia was present in both hemispheres and was widespread, extending from the frontal to occipital brain regions. Conclusions: Despite the small sample size, diffusion tensor imaging was po werful enough to yield significant group differences, indicating widespread alteration in brain white matter integrity but not necessarily white matte r volume in schizophrenia.