The impact of schizophrenia and intelligence on the relationship between age and brain volume

everhopeful · October 12, 2018, 10:11am

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The impact of schizophrenia and intelligence on the relationship between age and brain volume.

MH Jensen, N Bak, E Rostrup, MØ Nielsen, C Pantelis, BY Glenthøj, BH Ebdrup and B Fagerlund, Schizophrenia research. Cognition, Mar 2019

Age has been shown to have an impact on both grey (GM) and white matter (WM) volume, with a steeper slope of age-related decline in schizophrenia compared to healthy controls. In schizophrenia, the relation between age and brain volume is further complicated by factors such as lower intelligence, antipsychotic medication, and cannabis use, all of which have been shown to have independent effects on brain volume. In a study of first-episode, antipsychotic-naïve schizophrenia patients (N = 54) and healthy controls (N = 56), we examined the effects of age on whole brain measures of GM and WM volume, and whether these relationships were moderated by schizophrenia and intelligence (IQ). Secondarily, we examined lifetime cannabis use as a moderator of the relationship between age and brain volume. Schizophrenia patients had lower GM volumes than healthy controls but did not differ on WM volume. We found an age effect on GM indicating that increasing age was associated with lower GM volumes, which did not differ between groups. IQ did not have a direct effect on GM, but showed a trend-level interaction with age, suggesting a greater impact of age with lower IQ. There were no age effects on WM volume, but a direct effect of IQ, with higher IQ showing an association with larger WM volume. Lifetime cannabis use did not alter these findings significantly. This study points to effects of schizophrenia on GM early in the illness, before antipsychotic treatment is initiated, suggesting that WM changes may occur later in the disease process.

anon64158233 · October 12, 2018, 10:28am

I always thought age helped in this disorder and intelligence actually hurt. This article seems to say differently. I don’t have an understanding of grey matter…

But I posted once about getting a brain scan for validation purposes, and the consensus was that it’s not too important.

NutsAboutU · October 12, 2018, 10:37am

After he solved a difficult problem I said to my work colleague ‘geez you’re so smart!’. To which he replied ‘it’s actually more of a burden…’.

anon64158233 · October 12, 2018, 10:57am

For me I phrase it that I “have confidence” in my intellect. Confidence can be misguided so I open myself up there.

But I like the “greenhouse effect” analogy regarding thoughts. I think it can emphasize feelings of loneliness for one thing.

Edit: I think we all get colored with the brush that we possess an “evil genius”. “Genius” and “insanity” get connected in peoples minds.

But I once heard this disorder described as “young persons dementia”. I wish people would think more along those lines. We would probably receive more help that way.

insidemind · October 12, 2018, 1:39pm

I had MRI and cat scan a few years ago. I got white matter hyperintensities. My hippocampus was pretty symmetrical. I had a pineal cyst and a small white spot on my frontal lobe from chronic migraines. My intelligence/cognition has suffered. I can still do stuff but it is not the same.

Interestingly, i like 2 SNPs I think for larger brain volume and bigger hippocampus.

NutsAboutU · October 12, 2018, 3:02pm

Today at coffee break I told 2 work colleagues in detail the plot of a musical I saw only once 20 years ago. They were pretty amazed that I could recall it after 20 years. I work in a university and I outperform at lot of people there as regards memory recall. My MRI looks pretty bad though, either I was born with a shrunken brain or else acquired the shrinkage.