The Arcuate Fasciculus Network and Verbal Deficits in Psychosis.

Background: Verbal learning (VL) and fluency (VF) are prominent cognitive deficits in psychosis, of which the precise neuroanatomical contributions are not fully understood. We investigated the arcuate fasciculus (AF) and its associated cortical regions to identify structural abnormalities contributing to these verbal impairments in early stages of psychotic illness.

Methods: Twenty-six individuals with recent-onset psychosis and 27 healthy controls underwent cognitive testing (MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery) and structural/diffusion-weighted MRI.

Cognitive course in first-episode psychosis and clinical correlates: A 4 year longitudinal study using the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery.

While cognitive impairments are prevalent in first-episode psychosis, the course of these deficits is not fully understood. Most deficits appear to remain stable, however there is uncertainty regarding the trajectory of specific cognitive domains after illness onset. This study investigates the longitudinal course of cognitive deficits four years after a first-episode of psychosis and the relationship of performance with clinical course and response to treatment.