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Grey matter abnormalities in Brazilians with first-episode psychosis
Maristela S Schaufelberger1, Fabio L S Duran, Julia M Lappin
1Departamento de Psiquiatria, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua Ovídio Pires Campos, s/n, CEP 05403-903, São Paulo, SP Brazil.
Background:
In low- and middle-income countries people with schizophrenia are reported to experience better outcomes than those in high-income countries.
Aims:
To examine structural brain differences in people with first-episode psychosis and controls in Brazil.
Method:
Magnetic resonance imaging using voxel-based morphometry was performed on 122 people with first-episode psychosis and 94 controls.
Results:
There were significant decreases in grey matter in the left superior temporal and inferior prefrontal cortices, insula bilaterally and the right hippocampal region in first-episode psychosis (P<0.05, corrected for multiple comparisons). The subgroup of people with schizophrenia (n=62) exhibited a similar pattern of decrease in grey matter relative to controls.
Conclusions:
Structural abnormalities reported in psychosis in high-income countries are also present in first-episode psychosis in Brazil.
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