title: Morphologic alterations of the parcellated superior temporal gyrus in schizophrenia spectrum.
abstract: Morphologic abnormalities of the superior temporal gyrus (STG) as well as its sub-regions such as Heschl's gyrus (HG) or planum temporale (PT) have been reported in schizophrenia patients, but have not been extensively studied in schizotypal subjects. In the present study, magnetic resonance images were acquired from 65 schizophrenia patients, 39 schizotypal disorder patients, and 72 healthy controls. Volumetric analyses were performed using consecutive 1-mm coronal slices on the temporal pole (TP) and superior temporal sub-regions [planum polare (PP), HG, PT, rostral STG, and caudal STG]. The HG was significantly smaller in schizophrenia patients compared with controls but not in schizotypal patients, while volume reductions of the left PT and bilateral caudal STG were common to both disorders. The TP gray matter was larger in female schizotypal patients compared with female schizophrenia patients. There were no significant group differences in the PP and rostral STG volume. In the subgroup of early phase schizophrenia patients (illness duration <1.0 year), smaller volumes for the left PP and rostral STG were correlated with hallucinations and delusions. Our findings suggest that morphologic changes in the posterior regions of the STG are common to the schizophrenia spectrum, whereas less involvement of the HG, and possibly the PP and rostral STG might be related to the sparing of schizotypal patients from developing overt psychosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama, 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: Ryoichiro
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tanino
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hagino
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
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: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D020534:Parahippocampal Gyrus; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000473:pathology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012569:Schizotypal Personality Disorder / Q000473:pathology*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology*