title: Morphology of the anterior cingulate cortex in young men at ultra-high risk of developing a psychotic illness.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is consistently implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, and our own work has identified morphological anomalies in the ACC of people with this disorder.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine whether ACC morphological anomalies are present in a group at ultra-high risk of psychosis and whether such anomalies can be used to predict the subsequent development of a psychotic illness.
  
  
  METHODS
  Magnetic resonance imaging of 75 healthy volunteers and 63 people at ultra-high risk of developing a psychotic disorder (all right-handed males) was used to examine ACC sulcal and gyral features.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the controls, significantly fewer people in the ultra-high risk group had a well-developed left paracingulate sulcus and significantly more had an interrupted left cingulate sulcus. There was no difference between those who did (n=21) and did not (n=42) subsequently develop a psychotic illness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although ACC anomalies are present in young people considered to be at ultra-high risk of psychosis, they do not identify individuals who subsequently make the transition to psychosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia. murat.yucel@wh.org.au
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yücel
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: Lisa J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: Geoffrey W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Stuart
authors.forename: Deidre J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yung
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Velakoulis
authors.forename: Patrick D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: McGorry
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pantelis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control