Computed tomography scans and negative symptoms in schizophrenia: chronic schizophrenics with negative symptoms and nonenlarged lateral ventricles.

Publication Type Academic Article
Authors Serban G, George A, Siegel S, DeLeon M, Gaffney M
Journal Acta Psychiatr Scand
Volume 81
Issue 5
Pagination 441-7
Date Published 05/01/1990
ISSN 0001-690X
Keywords Brain, Cerebral Ventricles, Schizophrenia, Schizophrenic Psychology, Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Abstract Computed tomography scans of 31 chronic schizophrenics with negative symptoms and 31 age-matched normal volunteers were assessed for ventricular size, cortical atrophies, third ventricle diameter, and cerebellar atrophies. No significant differences were found in the size of the lateral ventricles or third ventricles between the chronic schizophrenics and the controls. The frontal horns in patients did show a tendency toward increased size compared with controls. Sulci width showed significant differences between patients and controls. The clinical variables, except for the memory test, did not correlate with any brain morphology. A meta-analysis was performed on 17 studies that used the planimetric method in order to evaluate the relationships between the size of the lateral ventricles in patients and their respective controls. We found significant differences between the group of studies using normal controls and the group using medical controls.
DOI 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1990.tb05478.x
PubMed ID 2356766
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