White Matter Microstructure across the Psychosis Spectrum

Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is a neuroimaging technique that has allowed us an unprecedented look at the role that white matter microstructure may play in mental illnesses, such as psychosis. Psychosis-related illnesses, including schizophrenia, are increasingly viewed as existing along a spectrum; spectrums may be defined based on factors such as stage of illness, symptom severity, or genetic liability. This review first focuses on an overview of some of the recent findings from DWI studies. Then, it examines the ways in which DWI analyses have been extended across the broader psychosis spectrum, or spectrums, and what we have learned from such approaches.