title: Anatomical substrates of cognitive and clinical dimensions in first episode schizophrenia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore gray (GM) and white matter (WM) abnormalities and the relationships with neuropsychopathology in first-episode schizophrenia (FES).
  
  
  METHODS
  Nineteen patients with first episode of non-affective psychosis and 18 controls underwent a magnetic resonance voxel-based morphometry. Additionally, WM fractional anisotropy (FA) was calculated. For correlative analysis, symptoms and neuropsychological performances were scored by PANSS and by a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients showed significantly decreased volume of left temporal lobe and disarray of all major WM tracts. Disorganized PANSS factor was inversely related to left cerebellar GM volume (corrected P = 0.03) and to WM FA of the left cerebellum, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculi (IFOF), and inferior longitudinal fasciculi (corrected P < 0.05). PANSS negative factor was inversely related to FA in the IFOF and superior longitudinal fasciculi (corrected P < 0.05). Impairment in facial emotion identification showed associations with temporo-occipital GM volume decrease (corrected P = 0.003) and WM disarray of superior and middle temporal gyri, anterior thalamic radiation, and superior longitudinal fasciculi (corrected P < 0.05). Speed of processing and visual memory correlated with WM abnormalities in fronto-temporal tracts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results confirm how the structural development of key brain regions is related to neuropsychopathological dysfunction in FES, consistently with a neurodevelopmentally derived misconnection syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Psychiatry, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs (Ne.S.M.O.S.), Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rigucci
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rossi-Espagnet
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferracuti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Carolis
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Corigliano
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carducci
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mancinelli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cicone
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tatarelli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bozzao
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Girardi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Comparelli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult