title: Impaired Verbal Learning Is Associated with Larger Caudate Volumes in Early Onset Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Both brain structural abnormalities and neurocognitive impairments are core features of schizophrenia. We have previously reported enlargements in subcortical brain structure volumes and impairment of neurocognitive functioning as measured by the MATRICS Cognitive Consensus Battery (MCCB) in early onset schizophrenia spectrum disorders (EOS). To our knowledge, no previous study has investigated whether neurocognitive performance and volumetric abnormalities in subcortical brain structures are related in EOS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four patients with EOS and 33 healthy controls (HC) were included in the study. Relationships between the caudate nucleus, the lateral and fourth ventricles volumes and neurocognitive performance were investigated with multivariate linear regression analyses. Intracranial volume, age, antipsychotic medication and IQ were included as independent predictor-variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The caudate volume was negatively correlated with verbal learning performance uniquely in the EOS group (r=-.454, p=.034). There were comparable positive correlations between the lateral ventricular volume and the processing speed, attention and reasoning and problem solving domains for both the EOS patients and the healthy controls. Antipsychotic medication was related to ventricular enlargements, but did not affect the brain structure-function relationship.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Enlargement of the caudate volume was related to poorer verbal learning performance in patients with EOS. Despite a 32% enlargement of the lateral ventricles in the EOS group, associations to processing speed, attention and reasoning and problem solving were similar for both the EOS and the HC groups.
authors.affiliation: Research Unit Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Juuhl-Langseth
authors.affiliation: NORMENT and K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Cecilie B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Hartberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Mental Health Services, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway.
authors.forename: Aina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Holmén
authors.affiliation: Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Drammen, Norway.
authors.forename: Rune
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thormodsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Inge R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Groote
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children's and Women's Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Lars M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Rimol
authors.affiliation: The Intervention Centre, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Kyrre E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Emblem
authors.affiliation: NORMENT and K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Agartz
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Drammen, Norway.
authors.forename: Bjørn R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Rund
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000145:classification / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D014706:Verbal Learning
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents