1. Linking enlarged choroid plexus with plasma analyte and structural phenotypes in clinical high risk for psychosis: A multisite neuroimaging study

Bannai et al., December 19, 2023

Answers the Question: Is the choroid plexus (CP) enlarged in individuals with clinical high-risk for psychosis, and if so, is this change related to clinical, neuroanatomical, and plasma analytes?

Significance: CP enlargement in individuals at clinical high-risk for psychosis could be a biomarker for identifying those at risk of developing the disorder. Exploring its links to clinical symptoms, neuroanatomical changes, or plasma analytes may offer valuable insights into early detection and the progression of psychosis.

2. A pilot study to investigate the efficacy and tolerability of lesion network guided transcranial electrical stimulation in outpatients with psychosis spectrum illness

Raymond et al., August 17, 2023

Answers the Question: Is lesion network-guided High Definition transcranial Electrical Stimulation (HD-tES) targeting the extrastriate visual cortex (eVC) safe and effective in reducing psychosis-related symptoms?

Significance: Lesion network guided HD-tES to the eVC is a safe, efficacious, and promising approach for reducing general psychopathology via changes in neuroplasticity. Larger clinical trials are needed to validate these results.

3. Peripheral inflammatory subgroup differences in anterior Default Mode network and multiplex functional network topology are associated with cognition in psychosis

Lizano et al., July 22, 2023

Answers the Question: What are the relationships between inflammatory subgroups in psychosis and brain functional network connectivity along with their cognitive consequences in psychosis?

Significance: High peripheral inflammation in psychosis is linked to disrupted brain network connectivity and associated cognitive deficits, highlighting the importance of targeting inflammation in treatment strategies.

4. Inflammatory Subtypes in Antipsychotic-Naïve First-Episode Schizophrenia are Associated with Altered Brain Morphology and Topological Organization

Hoang et al., November 26, 2021

Answers the Question: Do inflammatory subtypes exist in antipsychotic-naïve First-Episode Schizophrenia (FES), and how are these subtypes associated with neuroanatomical, cognitive, and clinical measures?

Significance: This study identifies distinct inflammatory subtypes in antipsychotic-naïve FES, linking inflammation to cortical expansion and suggesting potential for biomarker-guided treatment with anti-inflammatory therapies.

5. Thalamic, Amygdalar, and hippocampal nuclei morphology and their trajectories in first episode psychosis: A preliminary longitudinal study

Hoang et al., January 6, 2021

Answers the Question: How do volumetric differences and trajectories in subcortical nuclei (amygdala, hippocampus, and thalamus) relate to clinical outcomes and illness severity in antipsychotic-naïve first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients?

Significance: Baseline thalamic anterior nuclei alterations and longitudinal amygdala and thalamus changes can predict clinical outcomes in FEP, offering potential biomarkers for distinguishing between schizophrenia and non-schizophrenia psychoses.

6. Do neurobiological differences exist between paranoid and non-paranoid schizophrenia? Findings from the bipolar schizophrenia network on intermediate phenotypes study

Lutz et al., June 2, 2020

Answers the Question: Are there significant differences in the neurobiology, cognition, and symptoms between paranoid (P-SZ) and non-paranoid (NP-SZ) subtypes of schizophrenia, and do these differences justify distinguishing these subtypes?

Significance: There are subtle but significant differences in brain structure, cognition, and symptoms between P-SZ and NP-SZ, suggesting that while these subtypes may not warrant distinct diagnostic categories, they merit further investigation for understanding schizophrenia’s heterogeneity.

7. NRXN1 is associated with enlargement of the temporal horns of the lateral ventricles in psychosis

Alliey-Rodriguez et al., July 30, 2019

Answers the Question: What are the genetic underpinnings of structural brain abnormalities in schizophrenia, schizoaffective, and bipolar disorders, and how do specific genetic variants contribute to these phenotypes?

Significance: This study identifies a common single nucleotide polymorphism variant of the gene NRXN1 associated with enlargement of the temporal horns of lateral ventricles in psychosis, providing new insights into the genetic basis of brain structural abnormalities linked to these disorders.