We have analyzed cerebral white matter using magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging
(MR-DTI) to find available indices for the quantitative evaluation of schizophrenia.
Diffusion tensor images were acquired for patients with schizophrenia and healthy
comparison subjects, group-matched for age, sex, and handedness. Fiber tracking was
performed on the inferior longitudinal and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculi for
the comparison between the patient and comparison groups. We have calculated the cross-sectional
area on the starting coronal plane of tracking and the mean and standard deviation
of the fractional anisotropy and the apparent diffusion coefficient along tracked
fibers. These five indices were compared in the patient and comparison group and in
the right and left hemispheres. As a result, in the inferior longitudinal fasciculus
we found the standard deviation of the right apparent diffusion coefficient had significant
difference between the patient and comparison groups. In the inferior fronto-occipital
fasciculus the mean and standard deviation of the apparent diffusion coefficient had
significant differences. These results suggest that we may evaluate the disruption
in white matter integrity in schizophrenic patients quantitatively by comparing the
indices having significant differences in the patient and comparison groups.
