Decreased frontal cortical thickness in patients with first-episode schizophrenia who are nonresponsive to aytpical antipsychotics

Methods: Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging exams consisted of 124 coronal images (slice thickness= 1.5 mm) acquired using a 3D Fast SPGR with IR Prep (TR= 12.7 or 14.7, TE= 4.5 or 5.5 ms, FOV= 22cm, matrix= 256x256) at 1.5 T. Forty-five (35M/10F) patients experiencing a first-episode of schizophrenia who were enrolled in a treatment trial comparing the efficacy of risperidone (dosage range= 1 to 6mg) versus olanzapine (dosage range= 2.5 to 20mg) received MR imaging exams either prior to or close to the onset of treatment (median= 0 and range= 0 to 36 days from MR imaging exam to treatment). Treatment response was operationally defined as meeting the following criteria on 1 or more ratings during the first 16 weeks of trial participation: a rating of 3 or less on the following SADS-C items: severity of delusions, severity of hallucinations, impaired understandability, derailment, illogical thinking, bizarre …