The interaction between first-episode schizophrenia and age based on gray matter volume and its molecular analysis: A multimodal MRI study

We aimed to investigate the interaction characteristics of schizophrenia and onset age and its underlying molecular mechanisms by using T1-weighted high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (3DT1) and the JuSpace toolbox. 150 first-episode drug-naïve schizophrenia and 119 matched normal controls were recruited and underwent 3DT1 scans. Our results show that the two main effects of factors and interaction effect in gray matter volume and their underlying molecular mechanisms have varying degrees of specificity changes. Particularly, the abnormality of the visual perception system and higher visual cognitive functions in early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) have guiding significance for the mechanism and treatment of EOS.