Prefrontal but not temporal grey matter changes in males with first-episode schizophrenia.
BACKGROUND
Changes of brain morphology are now considered as a part of the pathology of schizophrenia. Voxel-based morphometry may be used to study regional changes of the grey matter in the whole brain. It is advantageous to study first-episode patients to prevent the influence of many possible biasing factors when trying to identify primary pathological processes underlying the manifestation of the illness.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate regional grey matter changes in the first-episode schizophrenia patients.


METHODS
Optimized voxel-based morphometry was used to detect changes in grey matter volume in 22 patients with first-episode schizophrenia compared with 18 healthy volunteers of comparable age, gender and handedness.


RESULTS
The first-episode schizophrenia group had significantly reduced grey matter volume in the prefrontal cortex (inferior and middle prefrontal gyrus, cingulate gyrus). We identified no differences in the temporal cortex.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data support the theoretical assumption that prefrontal dysfunction underlines the primary pathology and clinical manifestation of schizophrenia. We are inclined to explain the differences in the pattern of morphological changes reported in other first-episode studies--especially the lack of changes in the temporal cortex--by heterogeneity of schizophrenia, potential progression and antipsychotic medication effect.
Kaspárek
Tomás
T
Department of Psychiatry, Masaryk University, Faculty of Medicine and Faculty Hospital Brno-Bohunice, Jihlavska 20, 625 00, Brno, the Czech Republic. tomas.kasparek@centrum.cz
Prikryl
Radovan
R
Mikl
Michal
M
Schwarz
Daniel
D
Cesková
Eva
E
Krupa
Petr
P
D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000145:classification / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology*
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents