Gray Matter Alterations in Pediatric Schizophrenia and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Voxel-Based Morphometry Studies

ObjectiveThe aim of this study is comparing gray matter alterations in SCZ pediatric patients with those suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) based on a systematic review and an activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis. MethodsA systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, Elsevier, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). A systematic review and an ALE meta-analysis were performed to quantitatively examine brain gray matter alterations. ResultsChildren and adolescents with schizophrenia had decreased gray matter volume (GMV) mainly in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), temporal cortex (such as the middle temporal gyrus and transverse temporal gyrus), and insula, while children and adolescents with OCD mainly had increased GMV in the PFC and the striatum (including the lentiform nucleus and caudate nucleus), and decreased GMV in the parietal cortex. ConclusionsOur results suggest that gray matter abnormalities in the PFC may indicate homogeneity between the two diseases. In children and adolescents, structural alterations in schizophrenia mainly involve the fronto-temporal and cortico-insula circuits, whereas those in OCD mainly involve the prefrontal-parietal and the prefrontal-striatal circuits.