title: Smaller anterior hippocampal formation volume in antipsychotic-naive patients with first-episode schizophrenia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The authors investigated volumetric alterations of the anterior hippocampal formation in patients experiencing a first episode of schizophrenia relative to healthy comparison subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  From contiguous 1.5-mm coronal magnetic resonance images, the hippocampal formation was divided into posterior and anterior segments, and the anterior hippocampal formation was separated from the amygdala. Volumes of the posterior and anterior hippocampal formation and amygdala were computed in 46 (31 male and 15 female) patients experiencing a first episode of schizophrenia and in 34 (21 male and 13 female) healthy comparison subjects. Twenty-four patients were antipsychotic naive at the time of the scan.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients had significantly reduced total (right plus left) anterior hippocampal formation volume relative to healthy comparison subjects but did not differ in volumes of either the posterior hippocampal formation or amygdala. Similar findings were obtained when analyses were restricted to the antipsychotic-naive subgroup of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that volumetric abnormalities of the hippocampus-amygdala complex may be specific to the anterior hippocampal formation in patients experiencing a first episode of schizophrenia and are consistent with hypotheses regarding abnormal frontolimbic connectivity playing a role in the pathophysiology of the disorder.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry Research, The Zucker Hillside Hospital, 75-59 263rd St., Glen Oaks, NY 11004, USA. szeszko@lij.edu
authors.forename: Philip R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Szeszko
authors.forename: Ethan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Goldberg
authors.forename: Handan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gunduz-Bruce
authors.forename: Manzar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ashtari
authors.forename: Delbert
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: Anil K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Malhotra
authors.forename: Todd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lencz
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bates
authors.forename: David T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Crandall
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kane
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Bilder
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000679:Amygdala / Q000473:pathology; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008432:Mathematical Computing; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D012016:Reference Values; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents