Evidence for non-progressive changes in adolescent-onset schizophrenia: follow-up magnetic resonance imaging study.
BACKGROUND
It is not clear how far brain abnormalities in early-onset schizophrenia result from progressive neurodevelopmental or neurodegenerative processes. Aims To investigate the hypothesis that structural brain abnormalities in adolescent-onset schizophrenia are progressive in the early phase of the illness.


METHODS
A magnetic resonance imaging case-control study of 16 adolescents with schizophrenia (mean age 16.6 years, s.d.=1.9 years) with a mean time of 2.7 years (s.d.=1.7 years) between measurements and 16 matched controls (average age 16.0 years, s.d.=2.0 years) with a mean time of 1.7 years (s.d.=0.5 years) between measurements.


RESULTS
There was no evidence of progressive structural brain changes during late adolescence. Significant ventricular enlargement (greater in males) and left-sided temporal lobe changes were evident from the outset of the illness.


CONCLUSIONS
Neurodevelopmental brain abnormalities are non-progressive during late adolescence.
James
A C D
AC
Highfield Adolescent Unit, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK.
Javaloyes
A
A
James
S
S
Smith
D M
DM
D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000473:pathology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology