Volumetry of Limbic Structures in Schizophrenics and Controls

Abstract

The introduction of computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) into the clinical neurosciences has renewed the interest in structural brain abnormalities in neuropsychiatric diseases. Based upon the assumption that a decrease in structural size reflects a lower or disturbed level of brain function, volumetric studies may point to an involvement of specific brain regions in the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric diseases. Recent MRI studies have reported a volume reduction of limbic structures in the medial temporal lobes of schizophrenics (Suddath et al. 1990; Bogerts et al. 1990). These studies were interpreted as confirmation of previous postmortem studies which revealed subtle (Kovelman and Scheibel 1984; Jakob and Beckmann 1986; Jeste and Lohr 1989; Arnold et al. 1991) or even gross morphological changes (Bogerts et al. 1985; Brown et al. 1986; Falkai and Bogerts 1986) in the amygdala, hippocampus, and parahippocampal gyrus of schizophrenic patients. These structures are implicated in information processing and affective labeling of sensory input (Mesulam 1985). The aim of the present study was to revise the hypothesis of a limbic structure volume reduction in a new series of brains with a stereological study design.