Year: 2002
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Structural alterations in the association cortices as well as in the corpus callosum (CC) have been described in schizophrenia, and have been considered to reflect developmental abnormalities. Areas of primary and association cortices have been topographically mapped in the CC. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether, in schizophrenia, there are alterations in CC subdivisions that connect association, but not primary, cortices, and also to see if the normative, developmentally mediated increase in CC size with age is absent in this disorder. METHODS: The midsagittal magnetic resonance imaging scans of 31 first episode, neuroleptic naive, schizophrenic patients, 12 non-schizophrenic, psychotic patients, and 31 healthy controls were compared. The total area of CC as well as that of anterior, middle and posterior genu, body, isthmus, and anterior, middle, and posterior splenii were measured. RESULTS: Patients with schizophrenia as a group had a smaller CC, anterior genu, anterior body, isthmus, and anterior splenium than normal controls. Furthermore, the age related increase in CC size seen in normal subjects was absent in the patients. CONCLUSIONS: The observed reductions in size in selected regions of CC suggest a reduction in axonal connections between the heteromodal association cortices, which typically involve small diameter fibres. Furthermore, the absence of an age related increase in CC size in patients with schizophrenia suggests a neurodevelopmental abnormality that may extend into adolescence and early adulthood.
Author: M S Keshavan
Institution: University of Pittsburgh
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Awards: G1544529638, FRONTOSTRIATAL PATHOLOGY OF CHILDHOOD OCD, OCULOMOTOR STUDIES IN SCHIZOPHRENIA, G3284271864, General Clinical Research Center, G3446106932, G4191658174, G4403650869, G4789129623, G5139886712, FMRI AND PET STUDIES OF OCULOMOTOR NEUROPHYSIOLOGY, Cortical Circuitry and Cognition in Schizophrenia, IN VIVO NMR STUDIES IN SCHIZOPHRENIA, G9000295902
OpenAlex ID: W2080686593