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A naturalistic study of grey matter volume increase after early treatment in anti-psychotic naïve, newly diagnosed schizophrenia

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Abstract

Background

Anti-psychotic treatment appears to be associated with striatal volume increase, but how early this change occurs is still unknown.

Methods

A single prospective cohort of 20 anti-psychotic-naïve patients, newly diagnosed with schizophrenia, underwent magnetic resonance imaging brain scan at baseline. This was repeated following up to 8 weeks of anti-psychotic treatment. Ten patients had repeat scan within only 3 weeks. The choice of anti-psychotic medication was naturalistic, i.e., clinician-led. Well-matched healthy individuals were also scanned to control for non-specific changes over a 3-week period.

Results

After 3 weeks of anti-psychotic treatment, significant grey matter volume increase in the right caudate, superior and inferior frontal gyrus, precentral gyrus, and left inferior parietal lobule was noted. However, after 8 weeks of anti-psychotic treatment, volume increase in the right thalamus and bilateral cerebellum was observed. Significant grey matter reduction was detected in the left medial frontal gyrus at both 3- and 8-week intervals.

Conclusions

Early increase in striatal volume change occurs as early as 3 weeks after anti-psychotic treatment, whilst thalamic volume increase is apparent later, by 8 weeks of treatment. We speculate that drug-mediated neuroplasticity may provide a biomarker for clinical recovery.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by a research grant to Dr. Chua from the Committee for Research and Conference Grants, The University of Hong Kong. We thank our colleagues for assistance in subject recruitment and scanning.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    Michelle Y. Deng, Gráinne M. McAlonan, Charlton Cheung, Cindy P. Y. Chiu, Chi W. Law, Vinci Cheung, Pak C. Sham, Eric Y. H. Chen & Siew E. Chua

  2. State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    Gráinne M. McAlonan, Pak C. Sham & Siew E. Chua

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  1. Michelle Y. Deng
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  2. Gráinne M. McAlonan
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  3. Charlton Cheung
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  4. Cindy P. Y. Chiu
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  5. Chi W. Law
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  6. Vinci Cheung
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  8. Eric Y. H. Chen
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  9. Siew E. Chua
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Correspondence to Siew E. Chua.

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Deng, M.Y., McAlonan, G.M., Cheung, C. et al. A naturalistic study of grey matter volume increase after early treatment in anti-psychotic naïve, newly diagnosed schizophrenia. Psychopharmacology 206, 437–446 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-009-1619-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-009-1619-z

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