Abstract #2141

White Matter Abnormalities Associated with Neurological Soft Signs in First-Episode Schizophrenia: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study.

Christine Rodriguez-Rgent¹, Sabine Mouchet-Mages², Sebastian Rodrigo, Marie-Odile Krebs², Catherine Oppenheim, Jean-Franois Meder

¹Department of Morphologic and Functional Imaging, University Paris Descartes, Sainte Anne Hospital, PARIS, France; ²Pathophysiology of Psychiatric Diseases, University Paris Descartes, Sainte Anne Hospital, PARIS, France

Schizophrenic patients often present with neurological soft signs (NSS) but the cerebral changes underlying these signs are poorly understood. This study examines the microstructural changes associated with NSS using Diffusion Tensor Imaging. Forty-five patients with first-episode schizophrenia underwent DTI and a neurological examination. Fractional anisotropy (FA), calculated using a voxel based analysis, was analyzed with NSS scores. FA was negatively correlated with NSS scores in the white matter of the right prefrontal, left occipital and right parietal areas. Thus, this is the first study which confirms that microstructural changes of white matter are associated with NSS in schizophrenia.