title: Cortical thinning in temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) in non-affective first-episode of psychosis patients with persistent negative symptoms.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Negative symptoms represent an unmet therapeutic need in many patients with schizophrenia. In an extension to our previous voxel-based morphometry findings, we employed a more specific, vertex-based approach to explore cortical thinning in relation to persistent negative symptoms (PNS) in non-affective first-episode of psychosis (FEP) patients to advance our understanding of the pathophysiology of primary negative symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 62 non-affective FEP patients and 60 non-clinical controls; 16 patients were identified with PNS (i.e., at least 1 primary negative symptom at moderate or greater severity sustained for at least 6 consecutive months). Using cortical thickness analyses, we explored for differences between PNS and non-PNS patients as well as between each patient group and healthy controls; cut-off threshold was set at p<0.01, corrected for multiple comparisons.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A thinner cortex prominently in the right superior temporal gyrus extending into the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ), right parahippocampal gyrus, and left orbital frontal gyrus was identified in PNS patients vs. non-PNS patients. Compared with healthy controls, PNS patients showed a thinner cortex prominently in the right superior temporal gyrus, right parahippocampal gyrus, and right cingulate; non-PNS patients showed a thinner cortex prominently in the parahippocampal gyrus bi-laterally.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cortical thinning in the early stages of non-affective psychosis is present in the frontal and temporo-parietal regions in patients with PNS. With these brain regions strongly related to social cognitive functioning, our finding suggests a potential link between primary negative symptoms and social cognitive deficits through common brain etiologies.
authors: Prevention and Early Intervention Program for Psychoses (PEPP - Montreal), Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Bodnar
authors: Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
authors: Cindy L
authors: CL
authors: Hovington
authors: Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
authors: Lisa
authors: L
authors: Buchy
authors: Prevention and Early Intervention Program for Psychoses (PEPP - Montreal), Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
authors: Ashok K
authors: AK
authors: Malla
authors: Prevention and Early Intervention Program for Psychoses (PEPP - Montreal), Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
authors: Ridha
authors: R
authors: Joober
authors: Prevention and Early Intervention Program for Psychoses (PEPP - Montreal), Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Lepage
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology