Corpus callosum development in childhood-onset schizophrenia.
OBJECTIVE
Corpus callosum (CC) size and interhemispheric communication differences have been reported between patients with schizophrenia and normal controls. Childhood-onset schizophrenia (COS) is a severe form of the disorder that is continuous with later-onset disorder. Corpus callosal area was examined for COS at initial scan and prospectively through adolescence, and related to other developmental abnormalities for this group.


METHODS
A total of 113 anatomic brain MRI scans were obtained from 55 COS (22 female) and 110 scans from 56 age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers (22 female), across ages 8-24. Baseline and prospective rescans were obtained at approximately 2-year intervals. The midsagittal areas for total corpus callosum and seven subregions were calculated using an automated system. Cross-sectional and longitudinal data were combined using mixed model regression analysis to compare developmental changes for the two groups.


RESULTS
No diagnostic differences were seen at time of initial scan. Longitudinally, and in contrast to healthy volunteers, patients with schizophrenia showed a significant difference in developmental trajectory for the area of the splenium, both before (p=0.012) and after (p=0.05) adjustment for total cerebral volume. The area of the splenium becomes significantly smaller in COS, starting at about age 22.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with schizophrenia showed a significant difference in developmental trajectory for the splenial area, which seems to decline for COS. If replicated, this may reflect anticipated late occipital and extrastriate changes in brain regions.
Keller
Audrey
A
Child Psychiatry Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Building 10, Room 3N 202, 10 Center Drive MSC 1600, Bethesda, MD 20892-1600, USA.
Jeffries
Neal O
NO
Blumenthal
Jonathan
J
Clasen
Liv S
LS
Liu
Hong
H
Giedd
Jay N
JN
Rapoport
Judith L
JL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002648:Child; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000473:pathology*; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology