Cognitive correlates of neuroimaging abnormalities in the onset of schizophrenia: A case report.

ABSTRACT

Increasing evidence shows that cognitive impairment and brain abnormalities can appear early in the first episodes of schizophrenia, but it is currently debated how brain changes can correlate with clinical presentation of schizophrenic patients. Of note, this report describes the case of a young schizophrenic male presenting parietal magnetic resonance/positron emission tomography abnormalities and cognitive impairment, documented by specific neuropsychological tests. In our knowledge only few studies have investigated if neuropsychological abnormalities could be concomitant with both structural and functional neuroimaging. This case shows that impairment in specific cognitive domains is associated with structural/functional brain abnormalities in the corresponding brain areas (frontal and parietal lobes), supporting the hypothesis of disconnectivity, involving a failure to integrate anatomical and functional pathways. Future research would define the role of cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration in psychiatric nosography and, in particular, their role in the early phases of illness and long-term outcome of schizophrenic patients.