@article{oai:repo.qst.go.jp:00049192,
 author = {de Nijs, J. and G. Schnack, H. and G. J. C. Koevoets, M. and Kubota, Manabu and S. Kahn, R. and E. M. van Haren, N. and Cahn, W. and Kubota, Manabu},
 issue = {6},
 journal = {Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica},
 month = {Sep},
 note = {Objective: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is highly prevalent in
schizophrenia and often a consequence of unhealthy behaviour.
Reward-related brain areas might be associated with MS, since they
play a major role in regulating health behaviour. This study examined
the relationship between MS and brain volumes related to the reward
system in schizophrenia.
Method: We included patients with schizophrenia, with MS (MS+;
n = 23), patients with schizophrenia, without MS (MS; n = 48), and
healthy controls (n = 54). Global brain volumes and volumes of
(sub)cortical areas, part of the reward circuit, were compared between
patients and controls. In case of a significant brain volume difference
between patients and controls, the impact of MS in schizophrenia was
examined.
Results: Patients had smaller total brain (TB; P = 0.001), GM
(P = 0.010), larger ventricles (P = 0.026), and smaller reward circuit
volume (P < 0.001) than controls. MS+ had smaller TB (P = 0.017),
GM (P = 0.008), larger ventricles (P = 0.015), and smaller reward
circuit volume (P = 0.002) than MS. MS+ had smaller orbitofrontal
cortex (OFC; P = 0.002) and insula volumes (P = 0.005) and smaller
OFC (P = 0.008) and insula cortical surface area (P = 0.025) compared
to MS.
Conclusion: In schizophrenia, structural brain volume reductions in
areas of the reward circuitry appear to be related to comorbid MS.},
 pages = {581--590},
 title = {Reward-related brain structures are smaller in patients with schizophrenia and comorbid metabolic syndrome.},
 volume = {138},
 year = {2018}
}