Schizophrenia and anteroventral thalamic nucleus: selective decrease of parvalbumin-immunoreactive thalamocortical projection neurons.
This study was designed to examine possible anatomical changes of thalamocortical circuits in schizophrenics. Previous immunocytochemical studies have shown that parvalbumin, a calcium-binding protein, occurs in thalamocortical projection neurons, but not in GABAergic interneurons in the anteroventral thalamic nucleus (AN). Using parvalbumin-immunocytochemistry we investigated the densities of thalamocortical projection neurons in the AN of schizophrenic cases (n = 12) and controls (n = 14). The densities of all neurons in the AN were estimated by Nissl-staining. The majority of thalamocortical projection neurons in AN were identified by parvalbumin-immunoreaction. Significantly reduced densities of thalamocortical projection neurons were estimated in the right (P = 0.003) and left AN (P = 0.018) in schizophrenic subjects. The densities of all neurons in right and left AN were also diminished in schizophrenics; however, these decreases did not reach statistical significance. The reductions of parvalbumin-positive thalamocortical projection neurons were not correlated with the length of disease, this finding supporting the neurodevelopmental etiology of structural abnormalities in schizophrenia.
Danos
P
P
Department of Psychiatry, University of Magdeburg, FRG. peter.danos@medizin.uni-magdeburg.de
Baumann
B
B
Bernstein
H G
HG
Franz
M
M
Stauch
R
R
Northoff
G
G
Krell
D
D
Falkai
P
P
Bogerts
B
B
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001344:Autopsy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002452:Cell Count; D002540:Cerebral Cortex; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000473:pathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D010320:Parvalbumins / Q000032:analysis; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000473:pathology*; D013787:Thalamic Nuclei / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*
D010320:Parvalbumins