title: Childhood-onset schizophrenia: brain MRI rescan after 2 years of clozapine maintenance treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The effect of clozapine on striatal morphology was examined in adolescents with childhood-onset schizophrenia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight adolescent patients with onset of psychosis before age 12 and eight matched comparison subjects had initial and 2-year follow-up brain magnetic resonance imaging scans. Basal ganglia and lateral ventricle volumes were measured. The patients were on a clozapine regimen during the 2-year interim.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Caudate volume was larger in the patients at the initial scanning, decreased in the patients between scans, and did not differ significantly between the patients and the comparison subjects at the second scanning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Caudate enlargement in patients with childhood-onset schizophrenia who are taking typical neuroleptics appears to be secondary to medication exposure. Rescanning to examine basal ganglia morphology is indicated for these patients when they are taking an atypical neuroleptic.
authors.affiliation: Child Psychiatry Branch, NIMH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Frazier
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Giedd
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kaysen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Albus
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hamburger
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alaghband-Rad
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lenane
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McKenna
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Breier
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Rapoport
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000187:drug effects; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects; D002648:Child; D003024:Clozapine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011699:Putamen / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects; D012561:Schizophrenia, Childhood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D003024:Clozapine