Thalamic nuclei volumes across psychiatric and neurological disorders: a multi-site magnetic resonance imaging study.
Thalamic nuclei volumes across psychiatric and neurological disorders: a multi-site magnetic resonance imaging study.
Where did the research take place?
The study site has not been established. Author addresses may differ from where the research occurred.
Oslo, NO · Author affiliation
Centre for Precision Psychiatry, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo & Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. makimarttunen.veronica@gmail.com.Location evidence
Drammen, NO · Author affiliation
Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Drammen, Norway.Location evidence
Vilnius, LT · Author affiliation
Department of Electronic Systems, Vilnius Tech, Vilnius, Lithuania.Location evidence
Lübeck, DE · Author affiliation
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Centre of Integrative Psychiatry, Schleswig-Holstein University Hospital, Campus Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.Location evidence
London, GB · Author affiliation
Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, UK.Location evidence
Nijmegen, NL · Author affiliation
Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.Location evidence
Stockholm, SE · Author affiliation
Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm Region, Stockholm, Sweden.Location evidence
Uppsala, SE · Author affiliation
Department of medical sciences, Psychosis Research and Preventive Psychiatry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.Location evidence
Tübingen, DE · Author affiliation
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen, Germany.Location evidence
Göttingen, DE · Author affiliation
PFH - Private University of Applied Sciences, Department of Psychology (Clinical Psychology), Göttingen, Germany.Location evidence
Groningen, NL · Author affiliation
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.Location evidence
Würzburg, DE · Author affiliation
Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.Location evidence
Maastricht, NL · Author affiliation
Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.Location evidence
Amsterdam, NL · Author affiliation
Emma Children's Hospital, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of Pediatrics, Emma Children's Hospital Amsterdam UMC Follow-Me program & Emma Neuroscience Group, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.Location evidence
Basel, CH · Author affiliation
Department of Clinical Research (DKF), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.Location evidence
Mannheim, DE · Author affiliation
Hector Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.Location evidence
Heidelberg, DE · Author affiliation
Hector Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.Location evidence
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Original abstract
The human thalamus is an integrative hub for multiple cortical and subcortical circuits involved in sensory processing and higher cognitive functions. Thalamic volume differences have been reported across multiple psychiatric and neurological disorders, but previous studies have typically relied on small samples, focused on one or a limited number of disorders, or investigated the thalamus as a whole without considering its functional subdivisions. In this multi-site study, we compared thalamic nuclei volumes across mild cognitive impairment (MCI), dementia (DEM), major depressive disorder, schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SCZ), clinical high risk for schizophrenia, bipolar spectrum disorder, autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), and healthy controls (N > 8000). Using structural MRI, we segmented 25 bilateral thalamic nuclei, corresponding to six anatomical groups. Linear models revealed that anterior, medial and lateral regions of the thalamus were significantly smaller in several conditions, with largest effects observed for MCI, DEM, SCZ and MS. In contrast, the ventral and intralaminar groups were relatively normal. This pattern of effects largely corresponds to the canonical functional subdivision of the thalamus into higher-order and sensory regions. At the level of individual nuclei, the clinical conditions were associated with distinct patterns of alterations, while left and right lateral geniculate nuclei were implicated in six of the disorders, suggesting a possible relation with circadian and sleep disturbances. Together, the results highlight a role for the higher-order thalamus in common brain disorders and a differential involvement at the nuclei level, refining our understanding of thalamic pathology across common brain disorders.