title: A reconsideration of the relationship between cerebral structural abnormalities and family history of schizophrenia.
abstract: In a study of 229 schizophrenic patients for whom reliable family history information was available, ventricular size and incidence of ventricular enlargement were found to be greater in male cases without a family history of schizophrenia. A significant sex by family history interaction on cerebral ventricular dimension was detected. The age-corrected morbid risk for schizophrenia was lower among first degree relatives of male probands with ventricular enlargement vs. those with normal ventricles, but similar in relatives of females with and without ventricular enlargement. On the other hand, no association was found between family history and degree of cortical atrophy. A meta-analysis of published studies on the issue revealed 20% larger ventricles in patients without any known genetic predisposition for schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vita
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dieci
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Giobbio
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Garbarini
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Morganti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Braga
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Invernizzi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001284:Atrophy; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019965:Neurocognitive Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000235:genetics*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012569:Schizotypal Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed