Disruptions in brain circuits is a primary process that appears to underlie the pathophysiology of psychotic disorders. Recent developments in connectome imaging provide powerful tools to interrogate the functional and structural integrity of circuits that exist both within and between brain networks. New information from connectome imaging has promise for elucidating new circuits, treatment approaches and genetic risk for early psychosis. This symposium will focus on new functional and structural brain circuit findings in early psychosis. Anil Malhotra will present resting state (rsfMRI) and structural data from two cohorts of first episode schizophrenia patients participating in double blind clinical trials involving the second generation antipsychotics (SGAs) aripiprazole and risperidone to identify neuroimaging predictors of treatment response. Dost Unger will focus on rsfMRI data and compare within and between network connectivity in early stage bipolar and schizophrenia. Tom Hummer will distinguish brain circuit characteristics of functional connectivity within and between distinct brain networks in patients with early-phase psychosis. Rene Kahn will examine genetic predisposition by assessing connectome organization in children at familial high risk for bipolar and schizophrenia. Together, these presentations will further illuminate the altered brain organization responsible for early psychosis.
