Objective:To evaluate the potential value of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) in assessing the condition of first-episode schizophrenia (SCH) in adolescents by analyzing the correlation between changes in rs-fMRI characteristics and cognitive function.Methods:A case-control study was conducted on 80 adolescents with first-episode SCH who received treatment at Wenzhou Seventh People's Hospital from January to October 2024 (SCH group), and 80 healthy subjects who concurrently underwent physical examination (control group). All participants underwent rs-fMRI examinations and cognitive function assessments. The rs-fMRI characteristics and cognitive function scores were compared between SCH and control groups. Additionally, the correlation between rs-fMRI characteristics and cognitive function scores was analyzed.Results:The scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB), and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in the SCH group were (16.39 ± 1.72), (32.08 ± 4.57), and (15.48 ± 1.63), respectively. The scores were significantly lower than those in the control group [(28.76 ± 0.68), (51.63 ± 7.24), (28.16 ± 0.74), t = -34.93, -21.43, -32.52, all P<0.001]. The brain regions where the fMRI low-frequency amplitude was significantly increased in patients with SCH compared with healthy subjects included the bilateral prefrontal cortex, bilateral caudate nucleus, and right fusiform gyrus. In contrast, the regions that showed significant decreases included the left medial frontal gyrus and the left temporal lobe. The low-frequency amplitude values of rs-fMRI in the bilateral prefrontal cortex, bilateral caudate nucleus, and right fusiform gyrus were negatively correlated with MMSE, MCCB, and MoCA scores, whereas the low-frequency amplitude values in the left medial frontal gyrus and left temporal lobe were positively correlated with MMSE, MCCB, and MoCA scores (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Adolescents with first-episode SCH exhibit abnormalities in rs-fMRI characteristics across multiple brain regions, and these abnormalities are correlated with cognitive function deficits in the adolescents. This suggests that rs-fMRI examinations may provide a new approach for assessing the condition of first-episode SCH in children and adolescents.

Objective:To evaluate the potential value of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) in assessing the condition of first-episode schizophrenia (SCH) in adolescents by analyzing the correlation between changes in rs-fMRI characteristics and cognitive function.Methods:A case-control study was conducted on 80 adolescents with first-episode SCH who received treatment at Wenzhou Seventh People's Hospital from January to October 2024 (SCH group), and 80 healthy subjects who concurrently underwent physical examination (control group). All participants underwent rs-fMRI examinations and cognitive function assessments. The rs-fMRI characteristics and cognitive function scores were compared between SCH and control groups. Additionally, the correlation between rs-fMRI characteristics and cognitive function scores was analyzed.Results:The scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB), and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in the SCH group were (16.39 ± 1.72), (32.08 ± 4.57), and (15.48 ± 1.63), respectively. The scores were significantly lower than those in the control group [(28.76 ± 0.68), (51.63 ± 7.24), (28.16 ± 0.74), t = -34.93, -21.43, -32.52, all P<0.001]. The brain regions where the fMRI low-frequency amplitude was significantly increased in patients with SCH compared with healthy subjects included the bilateral prefrontal cortex, bilateral caudate nucleus, and right fusiform gyrus. In contrast, the regions that showed significant decreases included the left medial frontal gyrus and the left temporal lobe. The low-frequency amplitude values of rs-fMRI in the bilateral prefrontal cortex, bilateral caudate nucleus, and right fusiform gyrus were negatively correlated with MMSE, MCCB, and MoCA scores, whereas the low-frequency amplitude values in the left medial frontal gyrus and left temporal lobe were positively correlated with MMSE, MCCB, and MoCA scores (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Adolescents with first-episode SCH exhibit abnormalities in rs-fMRI characteristics across multiple brain regions, and these abnormalities are correlated with cognitive function deficits in the adolescents. This suggests that rs-fMRI examinations may provide a new approach for assessing the condition of first-episode SCH in children and adolescents.