title: Subcortical and cortical gray matter differences between Kraepelinian and non-Kraepelinian schizophrenia patients identified using voxel-based morphometry.
abstract: The long-term outcome of schizophrenia patients may differ depending on their brain structure. This would be reflected in significant structural differences between poor-outcome (i.e., Kraepelinian) and non-Kraepelinian patients. To assess this possibility, we have evaluated the degree of deviation in brain structure in Kraepelinian patients with respect to controls and non-Kraepelinian schizophrenia patients. We used voxel-brain morphometry (VBM) to assess the differences in gray matter volume across the brain in the Kraepelinian group with respect to the healthy controls and non-Kraepelinian patients. Twenty-six Kraepelinian and 18 non-Kraepelinian schizophrenia patients and 41 healthy controls were included. With respect to the healthy controls, the Kraepelinian patients showed a very significant decrease in gray matter in the frontal, occipital, and limbic cortices, and, at a subcortical level, bilaterally in the striatum and thalamus. In comparison with the non-Kraepelinian patients, the Kraepelinian individuals continued to show a similar subcortical decrease. Thus, Kraepelinian patients may be characterized by a distinct pattern of brain abnormalities, in particular, in subcortical regions.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Psiquiatría, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain. vmolina@usal.es
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Molina
authors.forename: Juan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sanz
authors.forename: Juan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Paniagua
authors.forename: Ana I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martín
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Matías
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Calama
authors.forename: Berta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bote
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology