title: Volume reduction of the right anterior limb of the internal capsule in patients with schizotypal disorder.
abstract: We have previously reported bilateral volume reductions in the anterior limb of the internal capsule (ALIC) in patients with schizophrenia. The purpose of this study was to extend the volumetric measurements of ALIC to subjects with schizotypal features to explore the neurobiology underlying schizophrenia-spectrum disorders in view of the fronto-thalamic connectivity. Three-dimensional magnetic resonance images were acquired from 24 patients with schizotypal disorder (ICD-10) and 47 healthy volunteers matched for age, gender, handedness, and parental education. Volumetric analyses of the ALIC and anterior parts of the caudate and lentiform nuclei were conducted using consecutive 1-mm thick coronal slices rostral to the anterior commissure. Compared with the comparison subjects, the schizotypal patients had significantly decreased volume in the right ALIC, but there was no significant group difference in the left ALIC volume. Volumes of the anterior part of the caudate or lentiform nucleus did not differ between groups. Volume deficit confined to the right ALIC suggests that limited involvement of the fronto-thalamic connectivity may have some relevance to the sparing of schizotypal patients from the development of overt psychosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan. suzukim@ms.toyama-mpu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Michio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Shi-Yu
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hagino
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nohara
authors.forename: Ikiko
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Mie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.forename: Hikaru
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Seto
authors.forename: Masayoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurachi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006801:Humans; D020772:Internal Capsule / Q000002:abnormalities*; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D012569:Schizotypal Personality Disorder / Q000473:pathology*; D013788:Thalamus / Q000033:anatomy & histology