Frontostriatal Dysconnectivity in adolescent Onset Schizophrenia and its Associations with Cognition: An MRI Volumetric and Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study

BackgroundAdolescent-onset schizophrenia (AOS) is associated with cognitive impairment and poor clinical outcome. Cognitive dysfunction is thought to reflect functional dysconnectivity between the frontal cortex and the striatum, Previous work [1] has shown frontostriatal dysconnectivity in large WM tracts explain core cognitive deficits, with processing speed, which is affected by alterations in WM connectivity, being an intermediary variable.ObjectiveTo undertake a follow-up MRI study using whole-brain structural connectomics to track topological changes in the follow-up (1st episode versus follow-up), in order to characterize the early stages (evolution of the first two years) of the disorder.DesignA follow-up study of 25 AOS subjects and 25 age and sex-matched healthy subjects.OutcomeNetwork theory will be applied to identify topological alterations in structural networks, including frontostriatal white matter (WM) tracts in relation to cognition and outcome measures.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.