Journal article

Associations between structural brain changes and blood neurofilament light chain protein in treatment-resistant schizophrenia

BJ Cilia, D Eratne, C Wannan, C Malpas, S Janelidze, O Hansson, I Everall, C Bousman, N Thomas, AF Santillo, D Velakoulis, C Pantelis

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry | SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD | Published : 2025

Abstract

Objective: Around 30% of people with schizophrenia are refractory to antipsychotic treatment (treatment-resistant schizophrenia). Abnormal structural neuroimaging findings, in particular volume and thickness reductions, are often described in schizophrenia. Novel biomarkers of active brain pathology such as neurofilament light chain protein are now expected to improve current understanding of psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. This study explored whether treatment-resistant schizophrenia individuals exhibit different associations between plasma neurofilament light chain protein levels and regional cortical thickness reductions compared with controls. Methods: Plasma neurofilamen..

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Grants

Awarded by Cooperative Research Centres, Australian Government Department of Industry


Funding Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Mental Health. The CRC programme is an Australian Government Initiative. The authors wish to acknowledge the CRC Scientific Advisory Committee, in addition to the contributions of study participants, clinicians at recruitment services, staff at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, staff at the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle Flagship Study of Aging, and research staff at the Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, including coordinators Merritt, A., Phassouliotis, C., and research assistants, Burnside, A., Cross, H., Gale, S., and Tahtalian, S. Participants for this study were sourced, in part, through the Australian Schizophrenia Research Bank (ASRB), which is supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (Enabling Grant N. 386500), the Pratt Foundation, Ramsay Health Care, the Viertel Charitable Foundation and the Schizophrenia Research Institute. We thank the Chief Investigators and ASRB Manager: Carr, V., Schall, U., Scott, R., Jablensky, A., Mowry, B., Michie, P., Catts, S., Henskens, F., Pantelis, C., Loughland, C. We acknowledge the help of Jason Bridge for ASRB database queries. The authors are grateful for assistance from Brett Trounson and Dr Christopher Fowler and the team at The Florey Oak St Biobank. Finally, the authors would like to thank all the participants and their families. The corresponding author had full access to all the data in the study and had final responsibility for the decision to submit for publication.