title: MRI predicts remission at 1 year in first-episode schizophrenia in females with larger striato-thalamic volumes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The Remission in Schizophrenia Working Group has defined remission as 'a low-mild symptom intensity level, maintained for a minimum of 6 months, where such symptoms do not affect an individual's behaviour' [Andreasen et al.: Am J Psychiatry 2005;162:441-449]. Since brain morphology relates to symptomatology, treatment and illness progression, MRI may assist in predicting remission.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-nine patients newly diagnosed with DSM-IV schizophrenia underwent MRI brain scan prior to antipsychotic exposure. The Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) score was entered into a voxel-based analysis to evaluate its relationship with cerebral grey matter volume from the baseline MRI. We entered age, total intracranial volume and intake GAF score as co-variates. Males and females were analysed separately because gender is a potent determinant of outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Males had lower GAF scores than females, both at intake and at 1 year. Males comprised only 40% (12 out of 39) of the early remission group. For females only, early remission was strongly and positively correlated with bilateral lentiform and striatal volumes. For males, there was no such relationship.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Larger striato-thalamic volume correlated with early remission in females only. These baseline MRI findings were unlikely to be confounded by antipsychotic treatment and chronicity. These brain morphological markers show gender dimorphism and may assist in the prediction of early remission in newly diagnosed schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Queen Mary Hospital, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China.
authors.forename: Germaine
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.forename: Charlton
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: Cindy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: Chi-Wing
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Law
authors.forename: Mei-Kei
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Vinci
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Yao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nailin
authors.forename: Kin-Shing
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Tai
authors.forename: Lawrance
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yip
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Suckling
authors.forename: Pak
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sham
authors.forename: Gráinne
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: McAlonan
authors.forename: Siew-Eng
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Chua
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D011379:Prognosis; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013788:Thalamus / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents