title: Volumetric MRI study of the short and long insular cortices in schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
abstract: We have previously reported volume reductions of the insular cortex in schizophrenia, but it is still not clear whether insular cortex volume loss preferentially involves the anterior (short insular cortex) or posterior (long insular cortex) portion. On the other hand, no volumetric studies of the brain have examined changes in insular cortex volume in subjects with schizotypal features. In this study, we separately investigated the volumes of the short and long insular cortex portions using magnetic resonance imaging in 37 schizotypal disorder patients (24 males, 13 females), 62 schizophrenia patients (32 males, 30 females), and 69 healthy controls (35 males, 34 females). While the volumes of the short and long insular cortex were significantly reduced in schizophrenia patients compared with schizotypal disorder patients and control subjects, there was no difference between schizotypal disorder patients and control subjects. These results suggest that the volume reduction of the insular cortex may be specific to overt schizophrenia without topographically specific localization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan. tsutomu@ms.toyama-mpu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
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: Ryoichiro
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tanino
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: Hikaru
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Seto
authors.forename: Masayoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurachi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000002:abnormalities*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012569:Schizotypal Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index