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Association of white matter deficits with clinical symptoms in antipsychotic-naive first-episode schizophrenia: an optimized VBM study using 3T

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Abstract

Object

To examine the whole brain white matter morphology in antipsychotic-naive patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FES) and its correlations with symptom severity.

Materials and methods

High-resolution T1-weighted images of 64 drug-naive FES patients and 64 matched healthy controls were acquired using a 3 T MR imaging system. Then, optimized voxel-based morphometry was performed to compare the group differences. Finally, correlation analyses were conducted between the white matter volume (WMV) changes and clinical symptoms.

Results

The FES showed significantly decreased WMV in the bilateral posterior limb of the internal capsule (PLIC) and right subgyral frontal white matter. The volume of the bilateral PLIC was negatively correlated with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale positive scores. Positive correlations were observed between all of the changed WMV measures and the Global Assessment of Functioning scores.

Conclusion

The current findings provide further evidence to support internal capsule and subgyral frontal white matter deficits at the early stage of schizophrenia that are potentially related to the core pathophysiology of the disease. Furthermore, these anatomical alterations were related to the clinical symptoms but not the untreated illness duration, suggesting that these deficits are related to aberrations in the neurodevelopmental process and may be relatively stable during the early course of schizophrenia.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation (Grants 81222018, 81030027, 81227002, and 81220108013); the Programs for New Century Excellent Talents in University (Grant no. NCET-10-0596); Young Scholars of Sichuan (Grant no. 2011JQ0005); the Distinguished Professorship awarded to Dr. Qiyong Gong by the China Medical Board administered by the Institute of International Education, Washington, DC; the Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University of China; and the National Key Technologies R&D Program of China (Program 2012BAI01B03).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 Guo Xue Alley, Chengdu, 610041, People’s Republic of China

    Li Yao, Su Lui, Min Wu, Lizhou Chen, Yuan Xiao, Sunima Lama, Wenjing Zhang, Xiaoqi Huang & Qiyong Gong

  2. Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, People’s Republic of China

    Wei Deng & Tao Li

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  1. Li Yao
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  2. Su Lui
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  3. Wei Deng
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  4. Min Wu
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  5. Lizhou Chen
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  6. Yuan Xiao
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  8. Wenjing Zhang
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  9. Xiaoqi Huang
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  10. Tao Li
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  11. Qiyong Gong
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Su Lui.

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Li Yao and Min Wu have contributed equally to this work.

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Yao, L., Lui, S., Deng, W. et al. Association of white matter deficits with clinical symptoms in antipsychotic-naive first-episode schizophrenia: an optimized VBM study using 3T. Magn Reson Mater Phy 27, 283–290 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10334-013-0411-6

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