The following is a summary of “Brain structural alterations associated with impulsiveness in male violent patients with schizophrenia,” published in the April 2024 issue of Psychiatry by Lu et al.

Schizophrenia (SCZ) can sometimes manifest as violence, and scientists are still investigating the brain mechanisms behind this.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study identifying brain structural alterations linked to violent behavior and impulsivity in SCZ patients, aiming to uncover the underlying neurobiology.

They utilized voxel-based morphometry and whole-brain analyses to quantify the change in gray matter volume (GMV) for 45 SCZ patients with violence (VSC), 45 SCZ patients without violence (NSC), and 53 HC. Correlation analyses were then employed to investigate the link between impulsiveness and brain regions related to violence.

The results showed diminished GMV in the right insula within the VSC group versus the NSC group and reduced GMV in the right temporal pole and left orbital part of the superior frontal gyrus solely in the VSC group compared to the HC group. Spearman correlation analyses further indicated a positive correlation between impulsiveness and GMV of the left superior temporal gyrus and bilateral insula. They left the medial orbital part of the superior frontal gyrus in the VSC group.

Investigators concluded that SCZ patients with a history of violence exhibited brain structural changes, potentially linked to their impulsivity.

Source: bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-024-05721-3