title: Prevalence of large cavum septi pellucidi in ultra high-risk individuals and patients with psychotic disorders.
abstract: An increased prevalence of large cavum septum pellucidum (CSP), a marker of midline neurodevelopmental abnormality, has been reported in schizophrenia. However, not all studies have been able to replicate this finding and very few studies have been conducted in large samples. In the current study, magnetic resonance imaging was used to assess the presence of an abnormal CSP in 162 patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP), 89 patients with chronic schizophrenia, 135 ultra high-risk (UHR) individuals, and 87 controls. The prevalence of a large CSP (>5.6 mm) did not differ between the groups (9.3% of the FEP patients, 11.2% of the chronic schizophrenia patients, 11.1% of the UHR individuals, and 11.5% of the controls). The length of the CSP was not associated with sulcal morphology of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), suggesting different biological processes responsible for the CSP enlargement versus ACC folding. These findings suggest that the CSP is not a neurodevelopmental marker of psychosis and cast doubt over the notion that it plays a major role in the neurobiology of psychosis.
authors.affiliation: Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Victoria, Australia. tsutomu@med.u-toyama.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Alison R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Yung
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yücel
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: Lisa J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: Ian H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Harding
authors.forename: Bridget
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Soulsby
authors.forename: Patrick D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: McGorry
authors.forename: Michio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Velakoulis
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pantelis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000679:Amygdala / Q000473:pathology; D015415:Biomarkers; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002908:Chronic Disease; D035061:Control Groups; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000473:pathology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D012688:Septum Pellucidum / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers