title: Progressive loss of cerebellar volume in childhood-onset schizophrenia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Childhood-onset schizophrenia is a severe and unremitting form of the disorder. Prospective brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have found progressive loss of total cerebral volume during adolescence, primarily attributable to accelerated loss of cortical gray matter. Because there is evidence of cerebellar involvement in schizophrenia, the authors examined cerebellar volume and its relation to cortical gray matter development during adolescence in patients with childhood-onset schizophrenia and healthy comparison subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Total cerebellar volume was algorithmically calculated for 108 anatomical brain MRI scans from 50 patients (20 of whom were female) and 101 scans from 50 age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers (20 of whom were female). The age range of the patients and comparison subjects was 8 to 24. Midsagittal vermal area and posterior-inferior vermal lobe volume were measured by hand. Prospective rescans were obtained at approximately 2-year intervals. Cross-sectional and longitudinal data were combined in mixed model regressions to compare developmental changes for the groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In contrast to healthy volunteers, patients with schizophrenia showed a progressive loss of cerebellar volume during adolescence. Cerebellar and cerebral volume decreases were significantly correlated in childhood-onset schizophrenia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Childhood-onset schizophrenia is associated with significant progressive loss of cerebellar volume during adolescence, consistent with previously reported decreases in total cerebral and cortical gray matter. At least in these patients with severe early-onset schizophrenia, the loss appears secondary to a generalized process.
authors.affiliation: Child Psychiatry Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bldg. 10, Rm. 3N 202, Bethesda, MD 20892-1600, USA.
authors.forename: Audrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.forename: F Xavier
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Castellanos
authors.forename: A Catherine
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Vaituzis
authors.forename: Neal O
authors.initials: NO
authors.lastname: Jeffries
authors.forename: Jay N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Giedd
authors.forename: Judith L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Rapoport
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D001284:Atrophy; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000473:pathology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D012561:Schizophrenia, Childhood / Q000175:diagnosis*