# Differential structural cortical correlates of positive, negative, and linguistic control formal thought disorder dimensions in schizophrenia

## TL;DR

This study explores how different aspects of thought disorder in schizophrenia relate to brain structure, finding distinct patterns linked to early brain development.

## Contribution

The study identifies distinct cortical correlates for different dimensions of formal thought disorder in schizophrenia.

## Key findings

- Positive and linguistic control FTD dimensions correlate with increased local gyrification in language-related brain regions.
- Negative FTD is inversely linked to local gyrification in occipital and parietal regions.
- Findings suggest distinct pathophysiological mechanisms for different FTD dimensions.

## Abstract

Formal thought disorder (FTD) is a core symptom of schizophrenia. The pathophysiology of FTD is still unclear. We focus on multiple cortical measures to capture the exact nature of brain alterations (e.g., plasticity, early brain development) in FTD dimensions. We included 70 schizophrenia patients. We assessed FTD, acquired structural neuroimaging scans, and analyzed cortical thickness, volume, surface area, and local gyrification (IGI). Results reveal negative FTD to be associated with different structural brain correlates compared to the positive and linguistic control FTD dimensions most prominent in markers of early brain development. Severity of positive and linguistic control FTD dimensions correlated positively with IGI of core language regions including temporal, Heschl’s, and inferior frontal gyri. Severity of negative FTD dimension was inversely correlated with lGI of occipital and parietal regions. Findings propose distinguishable changes most prominent in markers of early brain development associated with FTD dimensions suggesting a distinct pathophysiology.