White-Matter Deficits in Patients with Early Psychosis

Symptom variability in early psychosis may signify differences in pathogenesis and carry prognostic and treatment implications. Researchers have found overall deficits in white-matter volume in patients with schizophrenia and cognitive deficits. Using diffusion tensor imaging and a neurocognitive battery, investigators in Spain examined the integrity of white matter in 49 patients with first-episode psychosis (brief psychotic disorder, schizophreniform psychosis, schizophrenia, or schizoaffective disorder) and 41 matched controls.

Some patients, but not all, had significant deficits in executive function, verbal memory, attention, or motor dexterity. To minimize the potential confounding effects of medication, researchers conducted imaging a…