title: Fronto-temporal disconnectivity and clinical short-term outcome in first episode psychosis: a DTI-tractography study.
abstract: Determining reliable markers of clinical outcome for psychosis is essential to adjust intervention efforts. White matter alterations exist prior to psychosis onset but its association with clinical outcome in the very early phase of psychosis is currently unknown. In the present study, white matter was assessed by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in patients with first episode psychosis (FEP) and healthy controls. Forty-four FEP patients and 30 matched healthy controls completed a DTI scan. The patient group was split in poor (n = 24) and good (n = 20) outcome subgroups based on 6-month clinical data. DTI tractography was used to estimate fractional anisotropy (FA) in the three main tracts connecting frontal and temporal regions (i.e. the cingulum, the superior longitudinal fasciculus and the uncinate fasciculus). The analyses showed selective FA reductions in both the uncinate and the superior longitudinal fasciculi, but not in the cingulum, when comparing FEP patients to healthy controls. FEP subgroup analyses revealed greater white matter changes in these tracts in patients with poor outcome as compared to patients with good outcome. These findings confirm that abnormal fronto-temporal connectivity contributes to the physiopathology of FEP and constitutes an early marker of clinical short-term outcome.
authors: Brain Imaging Group, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, 6875 Boul LaSalle, Verdun H4H 1R3, Canada.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Luck
authors: Lisa
authors: L
authors: Buchy
authors: Yvonne
authors: Y
authors: Czechowska
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Bodnar
authors: G Bruce
authors: GB
authors: Pike
authors: Jennifer S W
authors: JS
authors: Campbell
authors: Amélie
authors: A
authors: Achim
authors: Ashok
authors: A
authors: Malla
authors: Ridha
authors: R
authors: Joober
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Lepage
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016880:Anisotropy; D001931:Brain Mapping; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000473:pathology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult