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Gray matters!--mapping the transition to psychosis
Stefan Borgwardt1, Philip McGuire, Paolo Fusar-Poli
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. sborgwardt@uhbs.ch
Schizophrenia Research
|September 28, 2011
Summary
Neuroimaging reveals that individuals at high risk for psychosis exhibit gray matter abnormalities similar to, but less severe than, those with schizophrenia. These findings suggest early structural markers for psychosis development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Biological Psychiatry
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Neuroimaging studies on schizophrenia reveal brain abnormalities, but their timing remains unclear.
- Gray matter volume studies offer insights into brain structure and potential markers for psychiatric disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the time course of brain abnormalities in individuals at high risk for psychosis.
- To identify structural brain markers associated with the transition to psychosis using neuroimaging.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of cross-sectional and longitudinal structural neuroimaging studies.
- Analysis of gray matter volumes in high-risk subjects who did and did not develop psychosis.
Main Results:
- High-risk subjects developing psychosis showed gray matter abnormalities.
- These abnormalities were qualitatively similar but less severe than those observed in patients with psychosis.
Conclusions:
- Gray matter volume changes in the prodromal phase may serve as core structural markers for impending psychosis.
- Neuroimaging can clarify dynamic brain changes preceding the onset of psychosis.
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