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The following is a summary of “Differences of regional homogeneity and cognitive function between psychotic depression and drug-naïve schizophrenia,” published in the November 2024 issue of Psychiatry by Chen et al. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to examine cognitive and neural differences between psychotic depression (PD) and schizophrenia (SCZ). 

PD and SCZ have overlapping symptoms but differ in etiology and progression. Understanding their distinct cognitive and neural mechanisms is crucial for accurate diagnosis and treatment. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to compare cognitive impairments and brain activity in PD and SCZ. 

They evaluated cognitive function in 42 PD and 30 patients with SCZ using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). They derived regional homogeneity (ReHo) values from rs-fMRI data, analyzed group differences in RBANS scores, and performed Pearson correlation analysis to assess the relationship between cognitive domains and brain functional metrics. 

The results showed that the SCZ group had significantly lower RBANS scores than the PD group, particularly in visuospatial ability and delayed memory (P < 0.05). The SCZ group also exhibited higher ReHo values in the left precuneus (P < 0.05), with negative correlations between visuospatial construction, delayed memory, and left precuneus ReHo. 

They found that cognitive impairment was more pronounced in SCZ than in PD, with significant deficits in visuospatial and memory domains. Enhanced left precuneus activity provided neuroimaging evidence that helped differentiate the two disorders and shed light on cognitive dysfunction mechanisms. 

Source: bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-024-06283-0