title: Fronto-parietal white matter microstructural deficits are linked to performance IQ in a first-episode schizophrenia Han Chinese sample.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Evidence shows that cognitive deficits and white matter (WM) dysconnectivity can independently be associated with clinical manifestations in schizophrenia. It is important to explore this triadic relationship in order to investigate whether the triplet could serve as potential extended endophenotypes of schizophrenia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Diffusion tensor images and clinical performances were evaluated in 122 individuals with first-episode schizophrenia and 122 age- and gender-matched controls. In addition, 65 of 122 of the patient group and 40 of 122 controls were measured using intelligence quotient (IQ) testing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The schizophrenia group showed lower fractional anisotropy (FA) values than controls in the right cerebral frontal lobar sub-gyral (RFSG) WM. The schizophrenia group also showed a significant positive correlation between FA in the RFSG and performance IQ (PIQ) ; in turn, their PIQ score showed a significant negative correlation with negative syndromes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, these findings support the hypothesis that WM deficits may be a core deficit that contributes to cognitive deficits as well as to negative symptoms.
authors.affiliation: The Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: McAlonan
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sham
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Collier
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Chua
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016880:Anisotropy; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence / Q000502:physiology*; D056784:Leukoencephalopathies / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000208:ethnology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014888:Wechsler Scales; D055815:Young Adult