Stratification of late onset psychosis using imaging biomarkers

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19H03583
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 52030:Psychiatry-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo Medical and Dental University
• Principal Investigator: Takahashi Hidehiko 東京医科歯科大学, 大学院医歯学総合研究科, 教授 (60415429)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 三村 將 慶應義塾大学, 医学部(信濃町), 教授 (00190728) ; 樋口 真人 国立研究開発法人量子科学技術研究開発機構, 放射線医学総合研究所 脳機能イメージング研究部, 部長(定常) (10373359)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 遅発性精神病 / バイオマーカー / 脳画像

Outline of Final Research Achievements

At the time of application, a paper on biomarkers of schizophrenia by functional brain connectivity obtained by resting-state fMRI, which was ready for submission, was accepted and published (Yoshihara et al Schizophr Bull 2020). Based on the spatial distribution of tau lesions, the following patterns were considered: (1) a pattern typical of Alzheimer's disease, (2) a pattern of frontotemporal lobe degeneration such as basal ganglia degeneration and Pick's disease, and (3) a pattern that does not fit either (1) or (2) but is observed for the first time in this study, with accumulation in the cortical regions. Among these, late-onset psychosis, which was judged unlikely to be schizophrenia, was expected to present the novel pattern (3) more frequently.

Free Research Field

精神医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

遅発性精神病が認知症の前駆期であるか否かを判別することは、長い精神医学の歴史の中でも学問上、常に重要なテーマであったとともに、臨床の上でも統鑑別可能となれば、不適切な向精神薬の投与を軽減し、早期から認知症の予防の策を講じることも可能となり、医療・福祉への波及効果も大きい。