Use of Z-Scores and Percentages to Assess Structural Brain MRI Findings in Patients With Schizophrenia

IF 2.5 3区医学 Q2 PSYCHIATRY

International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research Pub Date : 2026-04-04 DOI:10.1002/mpr.70071

Calypso A. Mitkani, Panagiotis Prassopoulos, Anthony H. Aletras, Konstantinos N. Fountoulakis

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objectives

Schizophrenia is associated with structural brain abnormalities, although findings have been inconsistent. This study aimed to investigate global and regional volumetric measures in patients with schizophrenia using an automated volumetric analysis tool.

Methods

Eighty-one patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (aged 18–65 years) underwent brain MRI on a 3T Siemens scanner using a high-resolution 3D T1-weighted MPRAGE sequence. Volumetric analysis was performed with vol2Brain, providing intracranial volume-adjusted percentages and normative z-scores. Group mean values were compared with normative data. One sample t-test was used as well as exploratory t-tests to examine sex differences, while Pearson correlations assessed associations with age.

Results

Patients showed decreased brain tissue volumes relative to normative values. Mean white matter (z = −1.12) and gray matter (z = −0.55) were reduced, while cerebrospinal fluid was increased (z = +1.75). Cortical gray matter was moderately decreased (z = −0.77), whereas cerebellar gray matter was relatively preserved (z = +0.19) but displayed high variability. No significant sex differences were observed. Age correlated significantly with volumetric percentages but not with z-scores, suggesting parallel age-related changes in patients and controls.

Conclusions

Patients with schizophrenia demonstrated widespread reductions in brain tissue volumes and enlarged CSF spaces, consistent with previous literature. Preservation and variability of cerebellar gray matter highlight the heterogeneity of structural alterations. Automated volumetry offers a reproducible approach for characterizing brain morphology in schizophrenia and may support future efforts to define patient subgroups.

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使用z分数和百分比评估精神分裂症患者的脑结构MRI表现。

目的：精神分裂症与脑结构异常有关，尽管研究结果不一致。本研究旨在使用自动体积分析工具调查精神分裂症患者的全球和区域体积测量。方法：81例精神分裂症或分裂情感性障碍患者（年龄18-65岁）在3T西门子扫描仪上使用高分辨率3D t1加权MPRAGE序列进行脑MRI。使用vol2Brain进行容积分析，提供颅内容积调整百分比和规范z分数。将组平均值与规范数据进行比较。使用样本t检验和探索性t检验来检验性别差异，而Pearson相关性评估与年龄的关联。结果：患者脑组织体积相对于正常值减小。平均白质（z = -1.12）和灰质（z = -0.55）减少，脑脊液（z = +1.75）增加。皮层灰质中度减少（z = -0.77），而小脑灰质相对保留（z = +0.19），但表现出高度变异性。没有观察到显著的性别差异。年龄与体积百分比显著相关，但与z分数无关，表明患者和对照组的年龄相关变化平行。结论：精神分裂症患者表现出广泛的脑组织体积缩小和脑脊液空间扩大，与先前的文献一致。小脑灰质的保存和可变性突出了结构改变的异质性。自动容量法提供了一种可重复的方法来表征精神分裂症的大脑形态，并可能支持未来定义患者亚群的努力。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research 医学-精神病学

CiteScore

5.20

自引率

6.50%

发文量

审稿时长

>12 weeks

期刊介绍： The International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research (MPR) publishes high-standard original research of a technical, methodological, experimental and clinical nature, contributing to the theory, methodology, practice and evaluation of mental and behavioural disorders. The journal targets in particular detailed methodological and design papers from major national and international multicentre studies. There is a close working relationship with the US National Institute of Mental Health, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Diagnostic Instruments Committees, as well as several other European and international organisations. MPR aims to publish rapidly articles of highest methodological quality in such areas as epidemiology, biostatistics, generics, psychopharmacology, psychology and the neurosciences. Articles informing about innovative and critical methodological, statistical and clinical issues, including nosology, can be submitted as regular papers and brief reports. Reviews are only occasionally accepted. MPR seeks to monitor, discuss, influence and improve the standards of mental health and behavioral neuroscience research by providing a platform for rapid publication of outstanding contributions. As a quarterly journal MPR is a major source of information and ideas and is an important medium for students, clinicians and researchers in psychiatry, clinical psychology, epidemiology and the allied disciplines in the mental health field.