Increased sensorimotor structural connectivity in high schizotypy

We explored the link between brain structural connectivity and schizotypy in healthy participants. Two datasets collected at two different neuroimaging centres, comprising 140 and 115 healthy participants respectively, were used. The participants completed the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire, through which their total schizotypy scores were calculated. Diffusion MRI data collected at the two centres were used to perform streamline tractography and to generate the structural brain networks of the participants. The edges of the structural networks were weighted with the inverse radial diffusivity. Graph theoretical metrics of the networks were calculated and their correlation coefficients with the schizotypy scores were calculated. We found a positive correlation between the schizotypy score and both the mean node degree and the mean clustering coefficient of the sensorimotor network. This implies that high-schizotypy participants have stronger connectivity in the sensorimotor network compared to those with low schizotypy. Weaker evidence was found for stronger structural connectivity in high schizotypy in the default-mode and visual networks. Our results agree with the dysconnection hypothesis which suggests that the decreases in white matter structural connectivity observed in schizophrenia patients, rather than being the cause of the disease, could be the result of altered functional connectivity in the disease. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.