Master Minds Episode #25: Mapping the Brain with Dr. Deanna Barch, PhD
Dec 18, 2023
Dr. Deanna Barch, psychologist and Vice Dean of Research at Washington University, is a neuroimaging expert who helped lead the Human Connectome Project. She discusses schizophrenia diagnosis, risk factors including genetics and cannabis, structural and functional brain connectivity changes, coordinated care and medication advances, developmental and aging connectome studies, and practical mental health tips for students.
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Multiple Small Risks Likely Converge On Common Pathways
- Schizophrenia arises from many small risk factors rather than a single cause, including genetics, prenatal inflammation, birth trauma, and social adversity.
- These diverse risks may converge on common pathways like neuroinflammation.
Cannabis And Psychosis Relationship Remains Complex
- Cannabis–psychosis links are unresolved: shared genetics, self-medication, and a possible gene-by-use interaction are all plausible.
- Longitudinal ABCD data (age 9–10 baseline) aim to clarify whether cannabis precedes or follows psychotic-like symptoms.
Schizophrenia Shows Broad Structural Brain Patterns
- Schizophrenia shows broad structural brain changes like reduced overall brain volume and larger ventricles rather than one focal lesion.
- ENIGMA consortium analyses reveal a characteristic profile across many regions that also appears in youth with persistent psychotic-like experiences.