Functional Coupling and Longitudinal Outcome Prediction in First-Episode Psychosis

IZ Pope; S Chopra; A Holmes; SM Francey; B O'Donoghue; VL Cropley; B Nelson; HP Yuen; K Allott; M Alvarez-Jimenez; S Harrigan; C Pantelis; A Thompson; SJ Wood; PD McGorry; A Fornito

Journal article

Functional Coupling and Longitudinal Outcome Prediction in First-Episode Psychosis

IZ Pope, S Chopra, A Holmes, SM Francey, B O'Donoghue, VL Cropley, B Nelson, HP Yuen, K Allott, M Alvarez-Jimenez, S Harrigan, C Pantelis, A Thompson, SJ Wood, PD McGorry, A Fornito

Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science | Elsevier | Published : 2025

DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2025.100589

Abstract

Background: Clinical outcomes following the first episode of psychosis (FEP) are highly heterogeneous across patients. The identification of prognostic biomarkers would greatly facilitate personalized treatments. Patients with psychosis often display brainwide disruptions of interregional functional coupling (FC), with some being linked to symptom severity and remission. Thus, FC may have prognostic potential for people experiencing psychosis. Methods: Fifty-five antipsychotic-naïve patients with FEP (51% female, ages 15–25 years) were randomized to receive either antipsychotic or placebo tablets for 6 months alongside psychosocial interventions. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was con..

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