Duration of untreated psychosis is associated with temporal and occipitotemporal gray matter volume decrease in...

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Schizophrenia Research
• Brain Anatomy

Background:

• Long duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) correlates with poorer treatment outcomes in schizophrenia.
• The relationship between DUP and brain gray matter volume in antipsychotic-naïve patients is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between DUP and brain gray matter volume in individuals with treatment-naïve schizophrenia.
• To compare gray matter volumes between short DUP, long DUP, and healthy control groups.

Main Methods:

• High-resolution Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) was used for brain scans in treatment-naïve schizophrenia patients and healthy controls.
• Duration of Untreated Psychosis (DUP) was assessed using the Nottingham Onset Schedule (NOS) and categorized as short (≤26 weeks) or long (>26 weeks).
• Voxel-based methods were employed for volumetric analysis of brain gray matter.

Main Results:

• Significant gray matter volume differences were observed in bilateral parahippocampal gyri, right superior temporal gyrus, left fusiform gyrus, left middle temporal gyrus, and right superior frontal gyrus across the three groups.
• The long DUP group exhibited significantly smaller gray matter volumes in these regions compared to healthy controls.
• Compared to the short DUP group, the long DUP group showed significantly reduced volumes in the right superior temporal gyrus, left fusiform gyrus, and left middle temporal gyrus.

Conclusions:

• Duration of untreated psychosis is associated with decreased gray matter volume in temporal and occipitotemporal regions in treatment-naïve schizophrenia.
• These observed brain structural alterations in untreated psychosis may contribute to diminished treatment response and long-term prognosis.