Hippocampal volumes in first-episode psychosis.
Studies have shown that patients with schizophrenia have smaller hippocampi than healthy comparison subjects. There are, however, inconsistencies regarding the relationship between clinical characteristics and topographical differences in hippocampal volumetry. The authors investigated hippocampal volumes in minimally treated patients with first-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorders, relative to comparison subjects. Thirty-nine consecutive patients and 29 matched comparison subjects were scanned using 1.5 tesla MR system. Patients had significantly smaller right anterior, right, and anterior hippocampal volumes than comparison subjects. There was a gender by diagnosis effect: female patients showed significantly smaller anterior and right hippocampal volumes than female comparison subjects, an effect not seen in male patients. Our results suggest that smaller hippocampal volumes are present even in early stages of the illness.
Department of Early Psychosis Intervention, Institute of Mental Health/Woodbridge Hospital, Singapore. Swapna_VERMA@imh.com.sg
Swapna
S
Verma
Yih Yian
YY
Sitoh
Yi-Ching Lynn
YC
Ho
Lye Yin
LY
Poon
Mythily
M
Subramaniam
Yiong Huak
YH
Chan
Kang
K
Sim
Siow Ann
SA
Chong
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000473:pathology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D055815:Young Adult