Cerebellar, prefrontal cortex, and thalamic volumes over two time points in adolescent-onset schizophrenia.
OBJECTIVE
Structural and functional studies implicate multiple brain lesions as a basis for a functional dysconnectivity underlying the cognitive and symptom profiles in schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to examine the hypothesis that early-onset schizophrenia is associated with structural abnormalities in the prefrontal cortex, thalamus, and cerebellum, compatible with a dysconnectivity syndrome.


METHODS
Two magnetic resonance imaging scans of 16 patients and 16 normal comparison subjects were undertaken on average 2 to 3 years apart. The participants were all from a defined geographic area in the United Kingdom with a population of 2.5 million.


RESULTS
In comparison to the normal adolescents, the schizophrenic subjects demonstrated low prefrontal cortex and thalamic volumes. The relatively large difference in prefrontal and thalamic volumes in these adolescents with schizophrenia implies a more severe disease process than in adult subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
The thalamic and frontal lobe findings provide preliminary, supportive structural evidence for a neurodevelopmental basis for a dysconnectivity syndrome, although the cerebellar findings were inconclusive.
James
Anthony C
AC
Highfield Adolescent Unit, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK. anthony.james@psych.ox.ac.uk
James
Susan
S
Smith
David M
DM
Javaloyes
Auxi
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013788:Thalamus / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006113:United Kingdom