title: Increased diffusivity in gray matter in recent onset schizophrenia is associated with clinical symptoms and social cognition.
abstract: Diffusion weighted MRI (dMRI) is a method sensitive to pathological changes affecting tissue microstructure. Most dMRI studies in schizophrenia, however, have focused solely on white matter. There is a possibility, however, that subtle changes in diffusivity exist in gray matter (GM). Accordingly, we investigated diffusivity in GM in patients with recent onset schizophrenia.
  
  
  
  We enrolled 45 patients and 21 age and sex-matched healthy controls. All subjects were evaluated using the short form of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and the video based social cognition scale. DMRI and T1W images were acquired on a 3 Tesla magnet, and mean Fractional Anisotropy (FA), Trace (TR) and volume were calculated for each of the 68 cortical GM Regions of Interest parcellated using FreeSurfer.
  
  
  
  There was no significant difference of FA and GM volume between groups after Bonferroni correction. For the dMRI measures, however, patients evinced increased TR in the left bank of the superior temporal sulcus, the right inferior parietal, the right inferior temporal, and the right middle temporal gyri. In addition, higher TR in the right middle temporal gyrus and the right inferior temporal gyrus, respectively, was associated with decreased social function and higher PANSS score in patients with schizophrenia.
  
  
  
  This study demonstrates high sensitivity of dMRI to subtle pathology in GM in recent onset schizophrenia, as well as an association between increased diffusivity in temporal GM regions and abnormalities in social cognition and exacerbation of psychiatric symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Jung Sun
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Chang-Yoon
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yeon Ho
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Joo
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Dominick
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Newell
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Sylvain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bouix
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; VA Boston Healthcare System, Brockton Division, Brockton, MA, USA; Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Martha E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Shenton
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: kubicki@bwh.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kubicki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003071:Cognition; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D005260:Female; D066128:Gray Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012938:Social Perception; D014888:Wechsler Scales
keywords: Diffusivity; Gray matter; MRI; Schizophrenia