Preserved white matter structure at the grey matter-white matter interface despite widespread cortical thinning in early psychosis.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Early psychosis is characterized by widespread cortical grey matter (GM) reductions. White matter (WM) alterations have also been reported. The GM-WM interface may represent a link between cortical GM and WM alterations that remains understudied. As the interface matures later in development than deep WM, it may be particularly vulnerable to neurodevelopmental disruptions in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. However, its complex fiber architecture and proximity to the cortex pose challenges for conventional diffusion tensor imaging. METHODS: We applied an advanced diffusion MRI approach to assess fiber density (FD) in the GM-WM interface of 78 individuals with early psychosis (ag..