Family history and cerebral ventricular enlargement in schizophrenia. A case control study.
Ventricular size was measured from CT scans in 48 patients meeting RDC for schizophrenia who had a first-degree relative with a history of treatment for major psychiatric disorder, in 48 age- and sex-matched schizophrenic patients with no such history in first- or second-degree relatives, and in 48 matched, healthy controls. There was no difference in ventricular size between those with and without a positive family history, although both groups showed ventricular enlargement with respect to normal controls. Ventricular enlargement was demonstrated in the subgroup of 23 patients with a family history of schizophrenia, but not in the subgroup of 18 patients with a family history of affective disorder. These observations provide further evidence that schizophrenics with a family history of affective disorder may constitute an aetiologically distinct subgroup.
Owen
M J
MJ
Institute of Psychiatry, St Mary's Hospital Medical School, London.
Lewis
S W
SW
Murray
R M
RM
D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000473:pathology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000235:genetics; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000235:genetics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000235:genetics*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed