Brain white matter structure, body mass index and physical activity in individuals at risk for psychosis:the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 Study

• Main Author: Koivukangas, J. (Jenni)
• Other Authors: Veijola, J. (Juha), Tervonen, O. (Osmo), Nikkinen, J. (Juha)
• Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Oulun yliopisto 2016
• Subjects: adolescent; birth cohort-study; body mass index (BMI); diffusion tensor imaging (DTI); exercise; physical fitness; risk for psychosis; white matter; young adult; diffuusiotensorikuvaus; kunto; liikunta; nuoret aikuiset; nuori; painoindeksi; psykoosialttius; syntymäkohorttitutkimus; valkea aine; Aine; Northern Finland
• Online Access: http://urn.fi/urn:isbn:9789526212869

Abstract Recognition of individuals at highest risk for psychosis is challenging and no definitive biomarkers are yet available. Physical illnesses associated with a sedentary lifestyle are common in patients with severe mental illness. Both, bodyweight and risk for psychosis are associated with brain white matter (WM) abnormalities. There are several dysregulated pathways which are common in psychiatric illnesses and weight-related processes, but it is not known how weight and vulnerability for psychosis interact in the brain. The present study examines brain WM microstructure and its association to body mass index (BMI) in young adults with a familial risk for psychosis (FR). In addition, the level of physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness in individuals vulnerable to psychosis was examined. Participants of the present study are members of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986. Two separate clinical substudies were conducted. The first having been done when the participants were at age 15–16. At that time, physical activity was defined by postal questionnaire (n=6,987) and cardiorespiratory fitness was measured by a submaximal cycle ergometer test (n=4,803). Risk for psychosis was viewed from three perspectives, with possible overlap between groups: having familial risk for psychosis, existing prodromal symptoms at age 15–16, and development of hospital treated psychosis between the ages of 16 and 20 years. The latter substudy was conducted when the participants were aged between 20 and 25 years. Diffusion tensor imaging was performed on 108 participants. Our study showed that there was no difference in WM microstructure between FR and control groups suggesting that WM abnormalities are not a genetic feature for risk of psychosis in all populations. However, the association between BMI and WM microstructure differed significantly between the FR and control groups. We also demonstrated that the level of physical activity was lower before the onset of psychotic illness. Therefore, these results imply ...