Morphometric Analysis of the Superior Temporal Gyrus

上级颞回（STG）对听力、语言理解、学习、 记忆、识别以及语义和语音处理。STG功能的缺陷是 与病理状态相关（例如，阅读障碍、自闭症、精神分裂症）。定量 STG的详细解剖结构的表征可能是重要的， 了解正常功能和与其功能相关的病理状态， 阐明病理组之间的差异。 为了对STG进行全面的定量评估，重要的是要有一种能够可靠地表征STG不同部分以及分析形状和图案特征的方法。我们建议开发和验证这种方法。使用传统的方法，我们已经开发出一种高度可靠的形态测量方法来测量STG和颞平面（PT）。以此为“黄金标准”，我们建议开发和验证半自动化方法，从大量人口中测量这些区域。此外，我们将开发一种形状分析方法来分析STG的区域。 我们实验室目前对30名精神分裂症患者进行了SGPR MRI扫描，分别与30名正常受试者和30名双相情感障碍患者进行了匹配。我们将使用上述方法来研究精神分裂症中的STG异常。该受试者组提供了验证半自动化方法的理想起点，因为精神分裂症患者已经显示出STG皮质异常（例如，逆转PT的不对称性）。我们认为30名双相情感障碍患者是精神分裂症患者的重要对照组，因为它代表了一种可能有精神病性症状的精神疾病，但没有证据表明STG功能障碍。定义STG特定位置的形状差异和患者组与正常受试者之间的脑回特征差异可能提供有关精神分裂症病因的重要信息，并有助于精神分裂症和双相情感障碍之间的鉴别诊断。

The superior temporal gyrus (STG) is important for hearing, language comprehension, learning, memory, recognition and semantic and phonological processing. Deficits of STG function are associated with pathological states (e.g., dyslexia, autism, schizophrenia). A quantitative characterization of the detailed anatomic structure of the STG is likely to be important in understanding both the normal function and pathological states related to its function as well as elucidate the differences between pathological groups. To conduct a thorough quantitative assessment of the STG, it is important to have a method capable of characterizing different parts of the STG reliably as well as analyzing shape and pattern characteristics. We propose the development and validation of such a method. Using conventional methods, we have already developed a highly reliable morphometric methodology to measure the STG and planum temporale (PT). Using that as a "gold standard," we propose to develop and validate semi-automated methods to measure these regions from a large population. Further, we will develop a shape analysis methodology to analyze the regions of the STG. Our lab currently has SGPR MRI scans on 30 schizophrenia patients individually matched with 30 normal subjects and 30 bipolar patients. We will use the above methods to investigate STG abnormalities in schizophrenia, This subject group provides an ideal starting point to validate semi-automated methods since schizophrenia patients have show STG cortical anomalies (e.g., reversed asymmetry of the PT) in morphometric studies. We believe the 30 bipolar patients are an important comparison group to the schizophrenia patients because it represents a psychiatric disorder that may have psychotic symptoms yet one in which there is no evidence of STG dysfunction. Defining differences in shape at specific locations of the STG and differences in gyral characteristics between patient groups and normal subjects may give important information about the etiology of schizophrenia, and aid in the differential diagnosis between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.