Mapping adolescent brain change reveals dynamic wave of accelerated gray matter loss in very early-onset schizophrenia

Mapping early and late deficits in schizophrenia. Deficits occurring during the development of schizophrenia are detected by comparing average profiles of gray matter between patients and controls at their first scan (age 13; Upper) and their last scan 5 years later (age 18; Lower). Although severe parietal, motor, and diffuse frontal loss has already occurred (Upper) and subsequently continues (Figs. 1 and 2), the temporal and dorsolateral prefrontal loss characteristic of adult schizophrenia is not found until later in adolescence (Lower), where a process of fast attrition occurs over the next 5 years. The color code shows the significance of these effects.