title: Brain Diffusion Changes in Emerging Psychosis and the Impact of State-Dependent Psychopathology.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies have shown microstructural changes in the brain white matter of at-risk mental state (ARMS) subjects for psychosis and patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP). However, only a few studies have been conducted in clinical high-risk samples and findings in both groups are inconsistent, in particular along the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF).
  
  
  METHODS
  This DTI study used tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) to compare fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) between ARMS subjects, untreated and antipsychotic-treated FEP patients and healthy controls (HC) across the whole brain and the SLF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to HC, ARMS and FEP patients showed increased FA and decreased MD in diverse regions across the whole brain including the SLF. FA in the SLF was positively correlated with positive psychotic symptoms in ARMS and FEP individuals. Furthermore, untreated but not treated FEP patients showed increased FA in the left inferior longitudinal fasciculus and right SLF.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study revealed increased FA and decreased MD in early stages of psychosis in widespread white matter tracts including the SLF. Our findings further suggest that microstructural changes in the SLF are probably related to state-dependent psychopathology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King's College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lenz
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Smieskova
authors.forename: Fabienne
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Harrisberger
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Riecher-Rössler
authors.forename: Andor
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: Undine E
authors.initials: UE
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McGuire
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fusar-Poli
authors.forename: Stefan J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Borgwardt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016880:Anisotropy; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000473:pathology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D066127:White Matter / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents