Publications by authors named "A Koppel"
Evidence of elevated peripheral Neurofilament light-chain (NfL) as a biomarker of neuronal injury can be utilized to reveal nonspecific axonal damage, which could reflect altered neuroimmune function. To date, only a few studies have investigated NfL as a fluid biomarker in schizophrenia primarily, though none in its putative prodrome (Clinical High-Risk, CHR) or in untreated first-episode psychosis (FEP). Further, it is unknown whether peripheral NfL is associated with 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO), a validated neuroimmune marker.
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- Individuals at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis (CHR-P) show diverse neuroanatomical profiles, which this study aimed to quantify using MRI data from a large international dataset.
- The ENIGMA CHR-P consortium analyzed neuroimaging from 1579 CHR-P individuals and 1243 healthy controls (HC) to compare structural measures like cortical surface area and thickness.
- Findings highlighted greater individual-level neuroanatomical divergence in CHR-P individuals compared to HC, though no significant link was found between neuroanatomical heterogeneity and the transition to psychosis.
Cannabis is now legal in many countries and while numerous studies have reported on its impact on cognition and appetite regulation, none have examined fatty acid metabolism in young cannabis users. We conducted an exploratory analysis to evaluate cannabis impact on fatty acid metabolism in cannabis users (n = 21) and non-cannabis users (n = 16). Serum levels of some saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, including palmitic, palmitoleic, and oleic acids were higher in cannabis users compared to nonusers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Alterations in the immune system, particularly C4A, have been implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. C4A promotes synapse elimination by microglia in preclinical models; however, it is unknown whether this process is also present in living humans and how it affects brain morphology.
Methods: Participants (N = 111; 33 patients with psychosis, 37 individuals at clinical high risk, and 41 healthy control subjects) underwent a TSPO [F]FEPPA positron emission tomography scan and a magnetic resonance imaging scan.
Article Synopsis
- - The ENIGMA initiative focuses on identifying neurobiological markers that indicate the risk of developing psychosis, utilizing the largest neuroimaging sample of individuals classified as clinically high risk (CHR) so far.
- - A study analyzed baseline MRI data from 3169 participants across 31 international sites, comparing structural brain differences between CHR individuals and healthy controls, as well as between those who later developed psychosis (CHR-PS+) and those who did not (CHR-PS-).
- - Results showed that CHR individuals had significantly lower cortical thickness in certain brain regions compared to healthy controls, indicating potential neurobiological changes linked to the progression to psychosis.