title: Basal ganglia volumes in drug-naive first-episode schizophrenia patients before and after short-term treatment with either a typical or an atypical antipsychotic drug.
abstract: The present study examined basal ganglia volumes in drug-naive first-episode schizophrenic patients before and after treatment with either a specific typical or atypical antipsychotic compound. Sixteen antipsychotic drug-naive and three minimally medicated first-episode schizophrenic patients and 19 matched controls participated. Patients were randomly assigned to treatment with either low doses of the typical antipsychotic drug, zuclopenthixol, or the atypical compound, risperidone. High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were obtained in patients before and after 12 weeks of exposure to medication and in controls at baseline. Caudate nucleus, nucleus accumbens, and putamen volumes were measured. Compared with controls, absolute volumes of interest (VOIs) were smaller in patients at baseline and increased after treatment. However, with controls for age, gender and whole brain or intracranial volume, the only significant difference between patients and controls was a Hemisphere x Group interaction for the caudate nucleus at baseline, with controls having larger left than right caudate nuclei and patients having marginally larger right than left caudate volumes. Within patients, the two medication groups did not differ significantly with respect to volume changes after 3 months of low dose treatment in any of the VOIs. Nevertheless, when medication groups were examined separately, a significant volume increase in the putamen was evidenced in the risperidone group. The altered asymmetry in caudate volume in patients suggests intrinsic basal ganglia pathology in schizophrenia, most likely of neurodevelopmental origin.
authors.affiliation: Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, University of Copenhagen, Hvidovre Hospital, Denmark.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Glenthoj
authors.forename: Birte Y
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Glenthoj
authors.forename: Torben
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mackeprang
authors.forename: Anne K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Pagsberg
authors.forename: Ralf P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Hemmingsen
authors.forename: Terry L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Jernigan
authors.forename: William F C
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Baaré
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D018680:Cholinergic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003006:Clopenthixol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D005917:Globus Pallidus / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011699:Putamen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D018967:Risperidone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D018680:Cholinergic Antagonists; D003006:Clopenthixol; D018967:Risperidone