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Birth asphyxia and its implications for neuropsychology and brain volume in schizophrenia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 August 2021

L. Wortinger ,
K. Jørgensen ,
C. Barth  and
I. Agartz
L. Wortinger*
Affiliation:
Department For Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Vinderen, Oslo, Norway Norment, Institute Of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
K. Jørgensen
Affiliation:
Department For Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Vinderen, Oslo, Norway Norment, Institute Of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
C. Barth
Affiliation:
Department For Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Vinderen, Oslo, Norway Norment, Institute Of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
I. Agartz
Affiliation:
Department For Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Vinderen, Oslo, Norway Norment, Institute Of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway Department Of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre For Psychiatric Research, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
*
*Corresponding Author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Newborn infants can suffer permanent brain damage as a result of birth asphyxia (ASP), a severe obstetric complication (OC). However, effects of OCs on cognitive abilities and brain structure in schizophrenia (SZ) are unknown.

Objectives

The main goals of this study were to investigate putative effects of a history of OCs on adult cognition and brain structure in SZ.

Methods

We utilized prospective data from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway to identify incidences of severe OCs in adult healthy controls (HC; n = 622) and patients with SZ (n = 607). IQ was assessed, and a subset of participants (n= 414) underwent magnetic resonance imaging.

Results

Severe OCs (27%) and ASP (14%) were equally common in SZ and HC. SZ patients with OCs had lower IQ than patients without OCs, a difference not found in HC (p = .023). Having experienced more than one co-occurring severe OC was associated with lower IQ in both groups, wherein 81% of co-occurring OCs involved ASP. ASP was related to smaller intracranial volume and brain volumes in both groups. Smaller caudate volumes were found in SZ patients with ASP compared to patients without ASP, a difference not found in HC (p = .009).

Conclusions

Our findings give support for an effect of birth ASP on brain development in both patients with SZ and HC. OC history specifically impacts IQ in SZ. Smaller caudate volumes might be particularly related to disease development. These results warrant replication in an independent sample.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Keywords

Obstetric complications - AsphyxiacognitionschizophréniaBrain morphometry
Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 64 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 29th European Congress of Psychiatry , April 2021 , pp. S59 - S60
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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