Obesity and brain structure in schizophrenia – ENIGMA study in 3021 individuals

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Sean R. McWhinney - , Dalhousie University (Author)
  • Katharina Brosch - , University of Marburg (Author)
  • Vince D. Calhoun - , Emory University (Author)
  • Benedicto Crespo-Facorro - , CIBER - Center for Biomedical Research Network, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio, University of Seville (Author)
  • Nicolas A. Crossley - , Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, King's College London (KCL) (Author)
  • Udo Dannlowski - , University of Münster (Author)
  • Erin Dickie - , University of Toronto (Author)
  • Lorielle M.F. Dietze - , Dalhousie University (Author)
  • Gary Donohoe - , University of Galway (Author)
  • Stefan Du Plessis - , University of Stellenbosch, SAMRC Genomics of Brain Disorders Unit (Author)
  • Stefan Ehrlich - , Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences (Author)
  • Robin Emsley - , University of Stellenbosch (Author)
  • Petra Furstova - , National Institute of Mental Health (Author)
  • David C. Glahn - , Harvard University, Institute of Living (Author)
  • Alfonso Gonzalez- Valderrama - , Universidad Finis Terrae, Instituto Psiquiátrico ‘Dr. José Horwitz B.’ (Author)
  • Dominik Grotegerd - , University of Münster (Author)
  • Laurena Holleran - , University of Galway (Author)
  • Tilo T.J. Kircher - , University of Marburg (Author)
  • Pavel Knytl - , National Institute of Mental Health, Charles University Prague (Author)
  • Marian Kolenic - , National Institute of Mental Health, Charles University Prague (Author)
  • Rebekka Lencer - , University of Münster, University of Lübeck (Author)
  • Igor Nenadić - , University of Marburg (Author)
  • Nils Opel - , University of Münster, Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Author)
  • Julia Katharina Pfarr - , University of Marburg (Author)
  • Amanda L. Rodrigue - , Harvard University (Author)
  • Kelly Rootes-Murdy - , Georgia State University (Author)
  • Alex J. Ross - , Dalhousie University (Author)
  • Kang Sim - , Singapore Institute of Mental Health, National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University (Author)
  • Antonín Škoch - , National Institute of Mental Health, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine (Author)
  • Filip Spaniel - , National Institute of Mental Health, Charles University Prague (Author)
  • Frederike Stein - , University of Marburg (Author)
  • Patrik Švancer - , National Institute of Mental Health, Charles University Prague (Author)
  • Diana Tordesillas-Gutiérrez - , Hospital Universitario Marques de Valdecilla, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) (Author)
  • Juan Undurraga - , Instituto Psiquiátrico ‘Dr. José Horwitz B.’, Universidad del Desarrollo (Author)
  • Javier Váquez-Bourgon - , CIBER - Center for Biomedical Research Network, Universidad de Cantabria, Hospital Universitario Marques de Valdecilla (Author)
  • Aristotle Voineskos - , University of Toronto (Author)
  • Esther Walton - , University of Bath (Author)
  • Thomas W. Weickert - , SUNY Upstate Medical University, Neuroscience Research Australia (Author)
  • Cynthia Shannon Weickert - , SUNY Upstate Medical University, Neuroscience Research Australia, University of New South Wales (Author)
  • Paul M. Thompson - , Keck School of Medicine at University of Southern California (Author)
  • Theo G.M. van Erp - , University of California at Irvine (Author)
  • Jessica A. Turner - , Georgia State University (Author)
  • Tomas Hajek - , Dalhousie University, National Institute of Mental Health (Author)

Abstract

Schizophrenia is frequently associated with obesity, which is linked with neurostructural alterations. Yet, we do not understand how the brain correlates of obesity map onto the brain changes in schizophrenia. We obtained MRI-derived brain cortical and subcortical measures and body mass index (BMI) from 1260 individuals with schizophrenia and 1761 controls from 12 independent research sites within the ENIGMA-Schizophrenia Working Group. We jointly modeled the statistical effects of schizophrenia and BMI using mixed effects. BMI was additively associated with structure of many of the same brain regions as schizophrenia, but the cortical and subcortical alterations in schizophrenia were more widespread and pronounced. Both BMI and schizophrenia were primarily associated with changes in cortical thickness, with fewer correlates in surface area. While, BMI was negatively associated with cortical thickness, the significant associations between BMI and surface area or subcortical volumes were positive. Lastly, the brain correlates of obesity were replicated among large studies and closely resembled neurostructural changes in major depressive disorders. We confirmed widespread associations between BMI and brain structure in individuals with schizophrenia. People with both obesity and schizophrenia showed more pronounced brain alterations than people with only one of these conditions. Obesity appears to be a relevant factor which could account for heterogeneity of brain imaging findings and for differences in brain imaging outcomes among people with schizophrenia.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3731-3737
Number of pages7
JournalMolecular psychiatry
Volume27
Issue number9
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2022
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 35739320
ORCID /0000-0003-2132-4445/work/160950858