Factorial dimensions and neurobiological underpinnings of formal thought disorders (FTD) have been extensively investigated in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD). However, FTD are also highly prevalent in other disorders. Still, there is a lack of knowledge about transdiagnostic, structural brain correlates of FTD. In N = 1071 patients suffering from DSM-IV major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, or SSD, we calculated a psychopathological factor model of FTD based on the SAPS and SANS scales. We tested the association of FTD dimensions with 3 T MRI measured gray matter volume (GMV) and white matter fractional anisotropy (FA) using regression and interaction models in SPM12. We performed post hoc confirmatory analyses in diagnostically equally distributed, age- and sex-matched sub-samples to test whether results were driven by diagnostic categories. Cross-validation (explorative and confirmatory) factor analyses revealed three psychopathological FTD factors: disorganization, emptiness, and incoherence. Disorganization was negatively correlated with a GMV cluster comprising parts of the middle occipital and angular gyri and positively with FA in the right posterior cingulum bundle and inferior longitudinal fascicle. Emptiness was negatively associated with left hippocampus and thalamus GMV. Incoherence was negatively associated with FA in bilateral anterior thalamic radiation, and positively with the hippocampal part of the right cingulum bundle. None of the gray or white matter associations interacted with diagnosis. Our results provide a refined mapping of cross-disorder FTD phenotype dimensions. For the first time, we demonstrated that their neuroanatomical signatures are associated with language-related gray and white matter structures independent of diagnosis.

中文翻译：

---

形式思维障碍的维度及其与情感和精神障碍中灰质和白质脑结构的关系

形式思维障碍 (FTD) 的因子维度和神经生物学基础已在精神分裂症谱系障碍 (SSD) 中得到广泛研究。然而，FTD 在其他疾病中也非常普遍。尽管如此，仍然缺乏关于 FTD 的跨诊断、结构性大脑相关性的知识。在 N = 1071 名患有 DSM-IV 重度抑郁症、双相情感障碍或 SSD 的患者中，我们基于 SAPS 和 SANS 量表计算了 FTD 的精神病理学因素模型。我们使用 SPM12 中的回归和交互模型测试了 FTD 维度与 3 T MRI 测量的灰质体积 (GMV) 和白质分数各向异性 (FA) 的关联。我们在诊断上均等分布进行了事后验证性分析，年龄和性别匹配的子样本，以测试结果是否由诊断类别驱动。交叉验证（探索性和确认性）因素分析揭示了三个精神病理学 FTD 因素：混乱、空虚和不连贯。紊乱与由枕中部和角回部分组成的 GMV 簇呈负相关，与右后扣带束和下纵束中的 FA 呈正相关。空虚与左侧海马和丘脑 GMV 呈负相关。不连贯与双侧前丘脑辐射中的 FA 呈负相关，与右侧扣带束的海马部分呈正相关。没有灰质或白质关联与诊断相互作用。我们的结果提供了交叉疾病 FTD 表型维度的精确映射。