Structural brain abnormalities in early-onset schizophrenia.
BACKGROUND
Few studies investigated brain abnormalities in early onset schizophrenia.


OBJECTIVE
To assess computed tomography (CT) abnormalities in patients with childhood or adolescence onset schizophrenia.


METHODS
CT scans of patients with childhood (6 to 11 years old) (N=6) or adolescence (12-17 years old) (N=9) schizophrenia were compared to normal controls. Patients were diagnosed based on the DSM-III-R criteria. Ventricular enlargement was measured by the Ventricle to Brain Ratio (VBR) and Cortical Atrophy (pre-frontal prominence) was measured by the Pre-Frontal Atrophy Index (PFAI).


RESULTS
There was a significant difference in VBR, but not in PFAI, between subjects and controls [8.26+/-2.79, and 5.71+/-3.26 (p=0.029)], and [2.72+/-1.77, and 3.21+/-1.53 (p=0.424)], respectively. There were no differences of VBR and PFAI between children and adolescents with schizophrenia.


CONCLUSIONS
Compared to controls, patients with child or adolescent onset schizophrenia exhibit more pronounced ventricular enlargement. There were no differences regarding prefrontal atrophy.
Ferrari
Maria Cristina Lombardo
MC
Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo SP, Brazil.
Kimura
Luci
L
Nita
Luciana M
LM
Elkis
Hélio
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D001284:Atrophy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed