Psychosis and brain volume changes during the first five years of schizophrenia.
The underlying mechanisms explaining brain volume changes in schizophrenia are not yet understood, but psychosis might be related to these changes. Forty-eight patients with first-episode schizophrenia underwent Magnetic Resonance Imaging brain scanning at inclusion and after five years. An association was found between longer duration of psychosis, larger gray matter volume decrease and larger ventricular volume increase. These findings strongly suggest that psychosis contributes to brain volume reductions found in schizophrenia.
Cahn
W
W
Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Rais
M
M
Stigter
F P
FP
van Haren
N E M
NE
Caspers
E
E
Hulshoff Pol
H E
HE
Xu
Z
Z
Schnack
H G
HG
Kahn
R S
RS
D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000473:pathology; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000473:pathology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D055815:Young Adult