title: Network-Level Dysconnectivity in Drug-Naïve First-Episode Psychosis: Dissociating Transdiagnostic and Diagnosis-Specific Alterations.
abstract: The neuroimaging literature provides compelling evidence for functional dysconnectivity in people with psychosis. However, it is likely that at least some of the observed alterations represent secondary effects of illness chronicity and/or antipsychotic medication. In addition, the extent to which these alterations are specific to psychosis or represent a transdiagnostic feature of psychiatric illness remains unclear. The aim of this study was therefore to examine the diagnostic specificity of functional dysconnectivity in drug-naïve first-episode psychosis (FEP). We used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and functional connectivity analysis to estimate network-level connectivity in 50 patients with FEP, 50 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), 50 patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and 122 healthy controls (HCs). The FEP, MDD, and PTSD groups showed reductions in intranetwork connectivity of the default mode network relative to the HC group (p<0.05 corrected); therefore, intranetwork alterations were expressed across the three diagnostic groups. In addition, the FEP group showed heightened internetwork connectivity between the default mode network, particularly the anterior cingulate cortex, and the central executive network relative to the MDD, PTSD, and HC groups (p<0.05 corrected); therefore, internetwork alterations were specific to the FEP. These findings suggest that network-level alterations are present in individuals with a first episode of psychosis who have not been exposed to antipsychotic medication. In addition, they suggest a dissociation between aberrant internetwork connectivity as a distinctive feature of psychosis and aberrant intranetwork connectivity as a transdiagnostic feature of psychiatric illness.
authors: Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Departments of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.|Department of Psychology, School of Public Administration, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.|Department of Psychiatry, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors: Qiyong
authors: Q
authors: Gong
authors: Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Departments of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors: Xinyu
authors: X
authors: Hu
authors: Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
authors: William
authors: W
authors: Pettersson-Yeo
authors: Department of Psychiatry, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors: Xin
authors: X
authors: Xu
authors: Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Departments of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors: Su
authors: S
authors: Lui
authors: Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.|Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors: Nicolas
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3060-656X
authors: N
authors: Crossley
authors: Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Departments of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors: Min
authors: M
authors: Wu
authors: Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors: Hongyan
authors: H
authors: Zhu
authors: Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Mechelli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D063132:Connectome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*