title: Schizophrenia with auditory hallucinations: a voxel-based morphometry study.
abstract: Many studies have shown widespread but subtle pathological changes in gray matter in patients with schizophrenia. Some of these studies have related specific alterations to the genesis of auditory hallucinations, particularly in the left superior temporal gyrus, but none has analysed the relationship between morphometric data and a specific scale for auditory hallucinations. The present study aims to define the presence and characteristics of structural abnormalities in relation with the intensity and phenomenology of auditory hallucinations by means of magnetic resonance voxel-based morphometry (MR-VBM) method applied on a highly homogeneous group of 18 persistent hallucinatory patients meeting DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia compared to 19 healthy matched controls. Patients were evaluated using the PSYRATS scale for auditory hallucinations. Reductions of gray matter concentration in patients to controls were observed in bilateral insula, bilateral superior temporal gyri and left amygdala. In addition, specific relationships between left inferior frontal and right postcentral gyri reductions and the severity of auditory hallucinations were observed. All these areas might be implicated in the genesis and/or persistence of auditory hallucinations through specific mechanisms. Precise morphological abnormalities may help to define reliable MR-VBM biomarkers for the genesis and persistence of auditory hallucinations.
authors: Bioengineering, Electronic and Telemedicine Group, Polytechnic University of Valencia, Camino de Vera, s/n, ES-46022 Valencia, Spain. gragarma@fis.upv.es
authors: Gracián
authors: G
authors: García-Martí
authors: Eduardo J
authors: EJ
authors: Aguilar
authors: Juan J
authors: JJ
authors: Lull
authors: Luis
authors: L
authors: Martí-Bonmatí
authors: María J
authors: MJ
authors: Escartí
authors: José V
authors: JV
authors: Manjón
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Moratal
authors: Montserrat
authors: M
authors: Robles
authors: Julio
authors: J
authors: Sanjuán
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*