title: Enlarged hypothalamic volumes in schizophrenia.
abstract: Hypothalamic abnormalities in schizophrenia have been associated with endocrine dysfunctions and stress response. The hypothalamus is involved in several pathways found disrupted in schizophrenia (e.g., hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, HPA axis); however the available results on potential structural hypothalamic alterations are still controversial. The aim of the study was to investigate the volumes of the hypothalamus and the mammillary bodies in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. Twenty-six patients with schizophrenia and 26 healthy controls underwent a 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. Hypothalamus and mammillary bodies were manually traced by a rater who was blind to subjects' identity. The General Linear Model was used in group comparisons of the volumes of the hypothalamus and the mammillary bodies. The hypothalamus and mammillary body volumes were significantly larger in patients with schizophrenia than controls, with significant enlargement of the left hypothalamus and trends for significantly increased right hypothalamus and right mammillary body. The size of the mammillary bodies was inversely correlated with negative symptoms and directly correlated with anxiety. This study showed abnormally increased sizes of the hypothalamus and the mammillary bodies in schizophrenia. Mammillary bodies volumes were associated to negative symptoms and anxiety. Future longitudinal studies on the volumes of the hypothalamus and the mammillary bodies with respect to the levels of related hormones will clarify their role in modulating HPA axis in schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tognin
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rambaldelli
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Perlini
authors.forename: Marcella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bellani
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Marinelli
authors.forename: Giada
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zoccatelli
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alessandrini
authors.forename: Francesca Benedetta
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Pizzini
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beltramello
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Terlevic
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tansella
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balestrieri
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brambilla
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000473:pathology*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000473:pathology*; D013223:Statistics as Topic