title: Volumes of the caudate nuclei in women with somatization disorder and healthy women.
abstract: Very little is known about the pathophysiology of somatization disorder. This study was designed to analyze the volumes of some brain structures possibly involved in somatization based on the observation of glucose metabolism of the brain in these patients. We studied 10 female patients with a diagnosis of somatization disorder or undifferentiated somatoform disorder with no comorbid current DSM-IV Axis I disorder and compared them to 16 healthy female volunteers using brain MRI (1.5 T instrument). The patients had bilateral enlargement of caudate nuclei volumes compared with healthy volunteers. These volume differences in the caudate nuclei could be associated with the pathophysiology of somatization.
authors.affiliation: Harjavalta Psychiatric Hospital, Satakunta Hospital District Area, Sairaalantie 14, 29200 Harjavalta, Finland. mika.hakala@satshp.fi
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hakala
authors.forename: Hasse
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Karlsson
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kurki
authors.forename: Sargo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aalto
authors.forename: Salla
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koponen
authors.forename: Tero
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vahlberg
authors.forename: Päivi M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Niemi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008432:Mathematical Computing; D008875:Middle Aged; D011699:Putamen / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012016:Reference Values; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology