Disturbed planum temporale asymmetry in schizophrenia. A quantitative post-mortem study.
The planum temporale of the temporal cortex was investigated post-mortem in 24 schizophrenic patients and 24 age- and sex-matched control subjects. Schizophrenic patients demonstrated a 20% volume reduction of the left planum temporale (p = 0.032), whereas on the right side, there was a trend for increase in male schizophrenics (+22%, p = 0.17), while in female patients the volume was moderately decreased (-6%, p = 0.74). The mean anterior-posterior diameter of the planum temporale was significantly reduced in the left hemisphere (-20%, p = 0.008), but unchanged on the right side. The asymmetry coefficients (Galaburda et al. (1987) Neuropsychologia 25, 853-868) for the planum temporale cortex volume (p = 0.02) and anterior-posterior diameter (p = 0.002) but not for mean area (p = 0.61) were significantly different between schizophrenics and control subjects. These data support the idea of disturbed cerebral laterality in schizophrenia. The implications of methodology and patient samples are discussed.
Falkai
P
P
Department of Psychiatry, University of Düsseldorf, Germany.
Bogerts
B
B
Schneider
T
T
Greve
B
B
Pfeiffer
U
U
Pilz
K
K
Gonsiorzcyk
C
C
Majtenyi
C
C
Ovary
I
I
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002508:Cephalometry; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012016:Reference Values; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000473:pathology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012737:Sex Factors; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology*