Brain morphology and neurological soft signs in adolescents with first-episode psychosis.
BACKGROUND
Adolescents with first-episode psychosis have increased severity of neurological soft signs when compared with controls, but it is unclear whether increased severity of neurological soft signs is an expression of specific structural brain deficits.


OBJECTIVE
To examine whether increased severity of neurological soft signs was associated with decreased brain volumes in adolescents with first-episode psychosis.


METHODS
Brain scans were obtained for 70 adolescents (less than 18 years of age) with first-episode psychosis (duration of positive symptoms less than 6 months). Volumes were assessed using voxel-based morphometry and through segmentation of anatomical structures.


RESULTS
Increased severity of sensory integration neurological soft signs correlated with smaller right and left thalamus volume, whereas increased severity of sequencing of complex motor acts neurological soft signs correlated with smaller right caudate volume.


CONCLUSIONS
Neurological soft signs may be an easy-to-assess marker of region-specific structural brain deficits in adolescents with first-episode psychosis.
Janssen
Joost
J
Department of Experimental Medicine and Psychiatry, Adolescent Unit Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañon (AU-HGUGM), 28007 Madrid, Spain. jjanssen@mce.hggm.es
Diaz-Caneja
Angeles
A
Reig
Santiago
S
Bombín
Igor
I
Mayoral
María
M
Parellada
Mara
M
Graell
Montserrat
M
Moreno
Dolores
D
Zabala
Arantzazu
A
Vazquez
Veronica García
VG
Desco
Manuel
M
Arango
Celso
C
D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000473:pathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D017072:Neostriatum / Q000473:pathology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000473:pathology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013788:Thalamus / Q000473:pathology*