Grey matter abnormalities in first-episode schizophrenia andaffective psychosis

BackgroundGrey matter and other structural brain abnormalities are consistentlyreported in first-onset schizophrenia, but less is known about the extentof neuroanatomical changes in first-onset affective psychosisAimsTo determine which brain abnormalities are specific to (a) schizophreniaand (b) affective psychosisMethodWe obtained dual-echo (proton density/T2-weighted) magnetic resonanceimages and carried out voxel-based analysis on the images of 73 patientswith first-episode psychosis (schizophrenia n=44,affective psychosis n=29) and 58 healthy controlsResultsBoth patients with schizophrenia and patients with affective psychosishad enlarged lateral and third ventricle volumes. Regional cortical greymatter reductions (including bilateral anterior cingulate gyrus, leftinsula and left fusiform gyrus) were evident in affective psychosis butnot in schizophrenia, although patients with schizophrenia displayeddecreased hippocampal grey matter and increased striatal grey matter at amore liberal statistical thresholdConclusionsBoth schizophrenia and affective psychosis are associated with volumetricabnormalities at the onset of frank psychosis, with some of these evidentin common brain areas