Journal article
Global and regional cortical thinning in first-episode psychosis patients: relationships with clinical and cognitive features
Psychological medicine, Vol.41(7), pp.1449-1460
07/2011
DOI: 10.1017/S003329171000200X
PMCID: PMC3954972
PMID: 20942995
Abstract
Background: The thickness of the cortical mantle is a sensitive measure for identifying alterations in cortical structure. We aimed to explore whether first episode schizophrenia patients already show a significant cortical thinning and whether cortical thickness anomalies may significantly influence clinical and cognitive features.
Method: We investigated regional changes in cortical thickness in a large and heterogeneous sample of schizophrenia spectrum patients (n=142) at their first break of the illness and healthy controls (n=83). Magnetic resonance imaging brain scans (1.5 T) were obtained and images were analyzed by using brains2. The contribution of sociodemographic, cognitive and clinical characterictics was investigated.
Results: Patients showed a significant total cortical thinning (F=17.55, d=-0.62, p<0.001) and there was a diffuse pattern of reduced thickness (encompassing frontal, temporal and parietal cortices) (all p's<0.001, d's>0.53). No significant group×gender interactions were observed (all p's>0.15). There were no significant associations between the clinical and pre-morbid variables and cortical thickness measurements (all r's<0.12). A weak significant negative correlation between attention and total (r=-0.24, p=0.021) and parietal cortical thickness (r=-0.27, p=0.009) was found in patients (thicker cortex was associated with lower attention). Our data revealed a similar pattern of cortical thickness changes related to age in patients and controls.
Conclusions: Cortical thinning is independent of gender, age, age of onset and duration of the illness and does not seem to significantly influence clinical and functional symptomatology. These findings support a primary neurodevelopment disorder affecting the normal cerebral cortex development in schizophrenia.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Global and regional cortical thinning in first-episode psychosis patients: relationships with clinical and cognitive features
- Creators
- B Crespo-Facorro - Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USAR Roiz-Santiáñez - Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USAR Pérez-Iglesias - Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USAJ. M Rodriguez-Sanchez - Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USAI Mata - Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USAD Tordesillas-Gutierrez - Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USAE Sanchez - Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USAR Tabarés-Seisdedos - Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USAN Andreasen - Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USAV Magnotta - Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USAJ. L Vázquez-Barquero - Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Psychological medicine, Vol.41(7), pp.1449-1460
- DOI
- 10.1017/S003329171000200X
- PMID
- 20942995
- PMCID
- PMC3954972
- NLM abbreviation
- Psychol Med
- ISSN
- 0033-2917
- eISSN
- 1469-8978
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 07/2011
- Academic Unit
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering; Radiology; Psychiatry; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
- Record Identifier
- 9984003998102771
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