Anatomical substrates of cognitive and clinical dimensions in first episode schizophrenia. (9th December 2012)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rigucci, S.; Rossi‐Espagnet, C.; Ferracuti, S.; De, A.; Corigliano, V.; Carducci, F.; Mancinelli, I.; Cicone, F.; Tatarelli, R.; Bozzao, A.; Girardi, P.; Comparelli, A.
• Is Part Of: Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica. Volume 128:Number 4(2013:Oct.)
• Page Start: 261
• Page End: 270
• Publication Date: 2012-12-09
• Subjects: Psychiatry -- Periodicals; 616.89
• DOI: 10.1111/acps.12051
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0001-690X

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="acps12051-abs-0001"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec id="acps12051-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Objective</title> <p>To explore gray (GM) and white matter (WM) abnormalities and the relationships with neuropsychopathology in first‐episode schizophrenia (FES).</p> </sec> <sec id="acps12051-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Method</title> <p>Nineteen patients with first episode of non‐affective psychosis and 18 controls underwent a magnetic resonance voxel‐based morphometry. Additionally, WM fractional anisotropy (FA) was calculated. For correlative analysis, symptoms and neuropsychological performances were scored by PANSS and by a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment respectively.</p> </sec> <sec id="acps12051-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Patients showed significantly decreased volume of left temporal lobe and disarray of all major WM tracts. Disorganized PANSS factor was inversely related to left cerebellar GM volume (corrected <italic>P </italic>=<italic> </italic>0.03) and to WM FA of the left cerebellum, inferior fronto‐occipital fasciculi (IFOF), and inferior longitudinal fasciculi (corrected <italic>P </italic><<italic> </italic>0.05). PANSS negative factor was inversely related to FA in the IFOF and superior longitudinal fasciculi (corrected <italic>P</italic> < 0.05). Impairment in facial emotion identification showed associations with temporo‐occipital GM volume decrease (corrected <italic>P </italic>=<italic> </italic>0.003) and WM disarray of superior and middle temporal gyri, anterior thalamic radiation, and superior longitudinal fasciculi (corrected <italic>P </italic><<italic> </italic>0.05). Speed of processing and visual memory correlated with WM abnormalities in fronto‐temporal tracts.</p> </sec> <sec id="acps12051-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusion</title> <p>These results confirm how the structural development of key brain regions is related to neuropsychopathological dysfunction in FES, consistently with a neurodevelopmentally derived misconnection syndrome.</p> </sec> </abstract>