Volume changes in gray matter in patients with schizophrenia.
OBJECTIVE
Schizophrenia is generally characterized by a progressive decline in functioning. Although structural brain abnormalities, particularly decrements in gray matter volume, are considered important to the pathology of schizophrenia, it is not resolved whether the brain abnormalities become more prominent over time.


METHODS
Magnetic resonance brain images from 159 patients with schizophrenia and 158 healthy comparison subjects between 16 and 70 years of age were compared. Using linear regression analysis, the authors analyzed the relationship between the volumes of the total brain, gray and white matter, cerebellum, and lateral and third ventricles with patient age.


RESULTS
Total brain (-2.2%), cerebral gray matter (-3.3%), prefrontal gray matter (-4.4%), and prefrontal white matter (-3.5%) volumes were smaller, and lateral (27%) and third (30%) ventricle and peripheral CSF (11%) volumes were larger in schizophrenia patients. A significant group-by-age interaction for gray matter volume was found, as shown by a steeper regression slope between age and gray matter volume in patients (-3.43 ml/year) than in healthy comparison subjects (-2.74 ml/year).


CONCLUSIONS
The smaller brains of the patients with schizophrenia can be explained by decreases in gray matter volume. Moreover, the finding that the smaller gray matter volume was more pronounced in older patients with schizophrenia may suggest progressive loss of cerebral gray matter in schizophrenia patients.
Hulshoff Pol
Hilleke E
HE
Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands. h.e.hulshoff@psych.azu.nl
Schnack
Hugo G
HG
Bertens
Madelief G B C
MG
van Haren
Neeltje E M
NE
van der Tweel
Ingeborg
I
Staal
Wouter G
WG
Baaré
Wim F C
WF
Kahn
René S
RS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001284:Atrophy; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000473:pathology; D012016:Reference Values; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis*