title: A meta-analysis of diffusion tensor imaging studies of the corpus callosum in schizophrenia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The corpus callosum has been hypothesized to play an important role in neurobiological models of schizophrenia. Diffusion tensor imaging studies have provided evidence for a disruption in corpus callosum morphology in schizophrenia, but the regional distribution of abnormalities is not well known.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted 2 meta-analyses investigating the genu and splenium of the corpus callosum in schizophrenia, respectively, based on published diffusion tensor imaging studies that employed a region-of-interest approach. Seven studies investigating the genu and splenium involving a total of 202 patients with schizophrenia and 213 healthy volunteers were included.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The meta-analysis of the genu yielded an effect size of 0.223 and was not statistically significant. The second meta-analysis investigating the splenium yielded a modest effect size of 0.527 (p=0.001), indicating that patients had lower fractional anisotropy in this region compared to healthy volunteers. Studies that included fewer men had a larger effect size for the splenium.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings implicate an abnormality involving the splenium of the corpus callosum in the neurobiology of schizophrenia as inferred by diffusion tensor imaging. A defect in the splenium could contribute to abnormalities in posterior interhemispheric connectivity in patients, including regions of the heteromodal association cortex.
authors.affiliation: Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Shivani
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Katie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mahon
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wellington
authors.forename: Jianping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chaplin
authors.forename: Philip R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Szeszko
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult