Hippocampal volumes in schizophrenic twins.
BACKGROUND
The effects of genes and environment on brain abnormalities in schizophrenia remain unclear.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the contributions of genes and environment to hippocampal volume reduction in schizophrenia.


METHODS
Population-based twin cohort study.


METHODS
Finland.


METHODS
Seven monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs concordant for schizophrenia and 16 MZ and 32 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs discordant for schizophrenia, ascertained so as to be representative of all such probands in a Finnish birth cohort, along with 28 MZ and 26 DZ healthy comparison twin pairs without a family history of psychosis.


METHODS
Hippocampal volume measurements taken from high-resolution magnetic resonance images.


RESULTS
Hippocampal volumes of probands were smaller than those of their nonschizophrenic MZ and DZ co-twins and healthy twins. Hippocampal volumes of probands' non-ill co-twins were smaller than those of healthy twins, but those of non-ill MZ and DZ co-twins of schizophrenic patients were similar. The intraclass correlations for hippocampal volumes among healthy and discordant MZ pairs were larger than those among the respective DZ pairs. The intraclass correlation for healthy MZ pairs was larger than that for discordant MZ pairs, and the variance component estimate for additive genetic effects was lower in discordant twins than in healthy twins.


CONCLUSIONS
Although hippocampal volume in healthy individuals is largely affected by genetic factors, it is subject to substantially greater modulation by environmental factors in schizophrenic patients and their relatives. The results are discussed in view of assumptions underlying classic twin methods.
van Erp
Theo G M
TG
Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 90095, USA.
Saleh
Peter A
PA
Huttunen
Matti
M
Lönnqvist
Jouko
J
Kaprio
Jaakko
J
Salonen
Oili
O
Valanne
Leena
L
Poutanen
Veli-Pekka
VP
Standertskjöld-Nordenstam
Carl-Gustav
CG
Cannon
Tyrone D
TD
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic