Neil Woodward Archive — Page 1 of 1

A. Compared to healthy individuals, psychosis subtype 1 demonstrated significantly larger surface area across the cortex and larger basal ganglia volumes. B. Compared to healthy individuals, psychosis subtype 2 demonstrated widespread lower surface area and cortical thickness, and smaller subcortical volumes. (Hill, L.D., et al. Subtyping psychotic disorders using a data-driven approach reveals divergent cortical and cellular signatures. Mol Psychiatry (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-026-03774-2. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Rights and Permissions: https://tinyurl.com/2e9nxeah.)
August 27, 2026

Brain scan method may improve diagnosis, treatment of psychosis

The study suggests that heterogeneity, or the wide range of symptoms, treatment responses and long-term outcomes observed in patients with various forms of psychosis, may reflect separate illness mechanisms and developmental pathways.

By Bill Snyder
November 8, 2024

People with schizophrenia show distinct brain activity when faced with conflicting information

Researchers introduce a biomarker to indicate whether someone is struggling with the inflexible thinking associated with the disorder.

By Joseph Caputo
January 27, 2022

White matter and psychosis

The microstructure of white matter in the brain could be an important risk marker for psychosis, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered.

By Emily Stembridge
September 2, 2021

White matter and schizophrenia

Patients with schizophrenia have functional changes in the white matter of the brain, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered, which may contribute to impaired working memory and processing speed.

By Emily Stembridge
The psychosis study team includes, from left, Neil Woodward, PhD, Maureen McHugo, PhD, Stephan Heckers, MD, MSc, Suzanne Avery, PhD, and Kristan Armstrong, PhD.
August 5, 2021

NIMH support bolsters early psychosis research efforts

The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences has received an additional $4 million from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to study the evolution of hippocampal dysfunction in the early stage of psychosis.

By Emily Stembridge
October 1, 2020

Pinpointing brain changes in psychosis

Specific regions of the thalamus — a central brain region — are smaller in adults with psychotic disorders and youth at risk for psychotic disorders and are associated with cognitive impairment.

By Leigh MacMillan