title: Neuroimaging study in subjects at high risk of psychosis revealed by the Rorschach test and first-episode schizophrenia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is increasing evidence of neuroanatomical pathology in schizophrenia, but it is unclear whether changes exist prior to disease onset. This study aimed to examine whether changes exist prior to disease onset, especially in the temporal lobes.
  
  
  METHODS
  T1-weighted and diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging were performed on 9 first-episode schizophrenia patients, 10 patients who were at high risk of schizophrenia and 10 healthy controls. Voxel-based analysis using the normalised images of cortical volume data was examined, and the fractional anisotropy value at three component fibres of the temporal lobes, inferior longitudinal fasciculus, superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) and cingulum hippocampal part was compared among the three groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were statistically significant volume differences at the bilateral temporal lobe between the healthy subjects and high-risk group. Between the schizophrenic group and healthy subjects, statistically significant volume differences were detected at the bilateral temporal lobes and anterior cingulate cortex. The fractional anisotropy values of the SLF in the schizophrenic and high-risk groups were significantly lower than in the healthy subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings indicate that some brain alterations may progress in patients at psychosis pre-onset, possibly because of disrupted developmental mechanisms, and these pathological changes may be predictive of functional outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Miho
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ota
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Bando, Bando, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Obu
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Asada