Functional Connectivity Changes in the Prefrontal-thalamic- cerebellar Circuit in Adolescents with First-Episode Schizophrenia

Background The role of functional connectivity (FC) changes in the prefrontal-thalamic-cerebellar circuit in schizophrenia has received widespread attention. Currently, domestic and international studies on this circuit have focused on adults, while the FC of this circuit in the brains of adolescent patients with schizophrenia (AOS) has been less reported. Methods We recruited 124 subjects who underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans at baseline, using key brain regions in the prefrontal-thalamic-cerebellar circuit as seed regions, to investigate the FC in AOS versus healthy controls. The FC of this loop was compared with that of the whole brain in healthy controls. Results Compared to healthy controls, patients with AOS had reduced FC between the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and precuneus and between the posterior cerebellar lobe and middle temporal gyrus. Reduced FC in patients with AOS was associated with positive symptom scores and with some cognitive scales. Conclusions There are FC abnormalities in the prefrontal-thalamic-cerebellar circuit, precuneus, and temporal lobe in AOS. These abnormalities appear in the early stages of schizophrenia, independent of medication, and are characteristic of the disorder.