The relationship between symptom severity and regional cortical and grey matter volumes in schizophrenia.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between symptom severity and cortical and grey matter volumes in schizophrenia.


METHODS
Fifty-three outpatients with schizophrenia were assessed by the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms and the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms. Symptoms were grouped into five factors (negative, relational, inattention, disorganization, and reality distortion). Cortical and lobar grey matter volumes within all regions of the brain were obtained from magnetic resonance images using two independent software tools. The relationships between brain volumes and symptom factors were analyzed by partial correlations controlling for age, gender, dose and type of antipsychotic medication, and intracranial volume.


RESULTS
Negative symptoms were generally associated with larger cortical volumes in all regions of the brain, and the relational and inattention factors were associated with larger frontal grey matter volumes. The reality distortion factor was associated with smaller cortical volumes throughout the brain and with smaller frontal and temporal grey matter volumes.


CONCLUSIONS
Differential contribution of positive and negative symptoms to variation in cortical and grey matter volumes indicates separate neurobiological mechanisms underlying the two major symptom domains in schizophrenia.
Institute of Psychiatry, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 85 Vinderen, 0319 Oslo, Norway. ragnar.nesvag@medisin.uio.no
Ragnar
R
Nesvåg
Peter
P
Saetre
Glenn
G
Lawyer
Erik G
EG
Jönsson
Ingrid
I
Agartz
D000328:Adult; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013577:Syndrome