Cortical gyrification in schizophrenia: current perspectives

Yukihisa Matsuda,1 Kazutaka Ohi2,3 1Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuyama University, Hiroshima, Japan; 2Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa, Japan; 3Medical Research Institute, Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa, Japan Abstract: The cerebral cortex of the human brain has a complex morphological structure consisting of folded or smooth cortical surfaces. These morphological features are referred to as cortical gyrification and are characterized by the gyrification index (GI). A number of cortical gyrification studies have been published using the manual tracing GI, automated GI, and local GI in patients with schizophrenia. In this review, we highlighted abnormal cortical gyrification in patients with schizophrenia, first-episode schizophrenia, siblings of patients, and high-risk and at-risk individuals. Previous researches also indicated that abnormalities in cortical gyrification may underlie the severity of clinical symptoms, neurological soft signs, and executive functions. A substantial body of research has been conducted; however, some researches showed an increased GI, which is called as “hypergyria,” and others showed a decreased GI, which is called as “hypogyria.” We discussed that different GI methods and a wide variety of characteristics, such as age, sex, stage, and severity of illness, might be important reasons for the conflicting findings. These issues still need to be considered, and future studies should address them. Keywords: schizophrenia, cortical gyrification, gyrification index