Fusiform gyrus volume reduction in first-episode schizophrenia: a magnetic resonance imaging study.
BACKGROUND
The fusiform gyrus (occipitotemporal gyrus) is thought to be critical for face recognition and may possibly be associated with impaired facial recognition and interpretation of facial expression in schizophrenia. of postmortem studies have suggested that fusiform gyrus volume is reduced in schizophrenia, but there have been no in vivo structural studies of the fusiform gyrus in schizophrenia using magnetic resonance imaging.


METHODS
High-spatial resolution magnetic resonance images were used to measure the gray matter volume of the fusiform gyrus in 22 patients with first-episode schizophrenia (first hospitalization), 20 with first-episode affective psychosis (mainly manic), and 24 control subjects.


RESULTS
Patients with first-episode schizophrenia had overall smaller relative volumes (absolute volume/intracranial contents) of fusiform gyrus gray matter compared with controls (9%) and patients with affective psychosis (7%). For the left fusiform gyrus, patients with schizophrenia showed an 11% reduction compared with controls and patients with affective psychosis. Right fusiform gyrus volume differed in patients with schizophrenia only compared with controls (8%).


CONCLUSIONS
Schizophrenia is associated with a bilateral reduction in fusiform gyrus gray matter volume that is evident at the time of first hospitalization and is different from the presentation of affective psychosis.
Lee
Chang Uk
CU
Department of Psychiatry (116A), VA Boston Healthcare System, Brockton Division, Harvard Medical School, 940 Belmont St, Brockton, MA 02301, USA.
Shenton
Martha E
ME
Salisbury
Dean F
DF
Kasai
Kiyoto
K
Onitsuka
Toshiaki
T
Dickey
Chandlee C
CC
Yurgelun-Todd
Deborah
D
Kikinis
Ron
R
Jolesz
Ferenc A
FA
McCarley
Robert W
RW
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000341:Affective Disorders, Psychotic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D017668:Age of Onset; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D005556:Form Perception; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology*