White Matter Microstructure Alterations and Their Link to Symptomatology in Early Psychosis and Schizophrenia

Motivation: Schizophrenia features complex symptomatology. Increased dMRI measures specificity is the key to capture the relation of white matter microstructure alterations with patients psychopathology. Goal(s): We aim to better characterize WM pathology and, thus, understand its relation with the symptomatology of early-psychosis and schizophrenia. Approach: Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging and White Matter Tract Integrity–Watson were estimated in 275 individuals. Whole-brain WM estimates were compared between patients and controls, and associated with patients psychopathology. Results: dMRI patterns suggest that WM alterations are already present and widespread in EP. Two trends of WM deterioration with concomitant demyelination vs neuroinflammation were found associated with clinical scales regression analysis. Impact: Our findings possibly provide a missing link between specific symptoms and underlying pathology. The association between patients' psychopathology and advanced dMRI metrics may spark further interest in linking specific symptom in psychiatry diseases to microstructure alterations.