Regional Brain Morphometry in Patients With Schizophrenia or Bipolar Disorder and Their Unaffected Relatives

• DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.163.3.478
• Publication Date: 2006-03-02T19:43:11Z
• Authors: Colm McDonald; Nicolette Marshall; Pak C. Sham; Edward T. Bullmore; Katja Schulze; Ben Chapple; Elvira Bramon; Francesca Filbey; Seema Quraishi; Muriel Walshe; Robin M. Murray
• Keywords: Endophenotype; Lateral ventricles; Bipolar I disorder; Schizophreniform disorder; First-degree relatives

OBJECTIVE: Schizophrenia and psychotic bipolar disorder have a number of overlapping symptoms risk factors, but it is not yet clear if the disorders are characterized by similar deviations in brain morphometry or whether any such reflect impact shared susceptibility genes on structure. The authors used region-of-interest to volumetrically assess structures frequently implicated illness families affected with schizophrenia disorder. METHOD: Magnetic resonance imaging scans were obtained from 243 subjects, comprising 42 patients schizoaffective disorder, 57 their unaffected first-degree relatives, 38 52 54 healthy comparison subjects. Most all multiply illness. Volumetric measurements cerebrum, lateral ventricles, third ventricle, hippocampus completed stereological methods. RESULTS: Patients had increased volume ventricles reduced hippocampal volume. None these volumetric abnormalities was present Unaffected relatives enlarged no other deviations. showed preservation ventricular CONCLUSIONS: morphometric distinctions regions. Lateral enlargement represents potential endophenotype for schizophrenia.