Summary: Early Onset Psychosis Linked to Reduction in Grey Matter
A ground-breaking study indicates a significant association between decreased grey matter in the brain and Early Onset Psychosis (EOP). As the largest brain imaging study to focus on EOP, the research holds potential for improving the diagnostic process and monitoring treatments for EOP patients. Persons diagnosed with EOP exhibit a lower volume of grey matter in various brain regions, setting EOP apart from other mental health disorders.
Details of the Study
The international study took into account 482 individuals with EOP from multiple nations and used a control group comprising 469 healthy individuals for comparison. Grey matter reduction was noted in virtually all brain regions, showcasing a significant effect on the left median cingulate, a region associated with emotions, learning, and memory. The findings underscore the potential of detailed brain mapping, both as a method of diagnosis and as a way of assessing the effectiveness of treatments.
Early Onset Psychosis
EOP typically manifests before the age of 18 during a critical period of brain development. Those diagnosed with EOP often experience severe, enduring symptoms that often respond poorly to treatments. The study represents a massive international effort to understand EOP better, combining brain scans from Spain, Canada, Italy, Norway, Australia, and the UK. A detailed analysis of the data revealed that individuals with EOP generally had reduced grey matter volumes in almost all brain regions, compared with the healthy controls.
Conclusions and Future Research
Further investigation of the data revealed that those who developed EOP later in their lives had lower grey matter volumes in specific, smaller brain regions than those with an earlier onset. This study, employing specially designed software, has significantly increased the volume of data being processed. It paints a broader and more detailed picture of the brains of EOP individuals worldwide and opens new avenues for research into other disorders.
About the Research
This research forms part of the independent studies part-funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London. The findings will be published in Molecular Psychiatry.
Personal Reflection
As a psychiatrist, the connection between lower volumes of grey matter and Early Onset Psychosis is a breakthrough, one that may pave the way towards crucial advancements in effectively diagnosing and treating the condition. Given the comprehensive nature of this study, it opens up new paths to understand the brain’s intricacies and further explore how specific changes in brain composition may contribute to various mental health disorders.
Dr Elizabeth Anderson, MD, Cure of Mind