A diffusion tensor imaging study of white matter in first episode neuroleptic-na?ve early-onset schizophrenia / 重庆医学

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigated cerebral structural connectivity and its relationship to neuroleptic-na?ve individuals with first episode early-onset schizophrenia using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) which could demonstrate the white matter integrity . Methods We recruited subjects with first episode DSM-Ⅳearly-onset schizophrenia who had never been exposed to antipsychotic medication(n=19) and sex ,age-matched healthy volunteers (n= 19) .All subjects received DTI and structural magnetic resonance imaging scans .Voxel-based analysis was performed to investigate brain regions fractional anisotropy (FA) values .Results Statistics revealed that schizophrenia patients showed significant FA reduction in left inferior frontal gyrus ,left temporal gyrus ,left occipital lobe and right middle temporal gyrus as compared to healthy subjects .Conclusion Deficits of white matter integrity in widespread brain regions of the first episode neuroleptic-na?ve early-onset schizophrenia patients .The presence of white matter abnormalities in the early-onset patients is suggestive of being related to the etilology of schizophrenia .