Temporal Dynamics in Degree Centrality of Brain Functional Connectome in First-Episode Schizophrenia with Different Short-Term Treatment Responses: A Longitudinal Study

PURPOSE: This study investigated temporal dynamics in degree centrality (DC) of the brain functional connectome in first-episode schizophrenia with different short-term treatment responses. METHODS: A total of 127 first-episode patients (FEPs) with schizophrenia and 133 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited in this study. All subjects underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. FEPs were scanned at baseline (pretreatment) and at follow-up (posttreatment), while HCs were scanned only at baseline. The patients were exposed to naturalistic antipsychotic treatment for 12 weeks, and classified as schizophrenia responders (SRs) or nonresponders (NRs). Voxel-wise dynamic DC analyses were conducted among the SRs (n=75), NRs (n=52), and HCs (n=133) to assess temporal variability in functional connectivity across the entire neuronal network. RESULTS: The SRs and NRs showed dissimilar dynamic DC at baseline, with differences mainly involving the temporal lobe. Different DC alteration was observed in the left fusiform gyrus, right fusiform gyrus, left middle cingulate cortex, and left superior parietal gyrus in the SRs and NRs pre- and posttreatment. SRs group and NRs presented opposite changing patterns of dynamic DC in particular regions of the brain. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that dynamic DC abnormalities exist in unmedicated patients with schizophrenia. The NRs differed from the SRs in dynamic DC not only at baseline but in the characteristics of changes before and after treatment as well. Our study may contribute to understanding pathophysiology in schizophrenia with different treatment responses.