BACKGROUND: While the evidence for hippocampal structural abnormalities in schizophrenia is now well accepted, whether there is differentially greater volume loss within specific subregions of the hippocampus remains a matter of some debate. Here we present volume estimates of anterior and posterior hippocampal volumes using a novel morphometric protocol. METHODS: We studied 25 male patients with schizophrenia and 25 age-matched male control subjects. Hippocampal volumes were estimated using a three-dimensional morphometric protocol for the analysis of high-resolution structural magnetic resonance images (MRI). Anterior hippocampal volumes were differentiated from posterior hippocampal volumes by the presence of the uncus in coronal slices. RESULTS: While the patients with schizophrenia had significantly smaller overall hippocampal volumes relative to the control group, there was no evidence for a topographically specific pattern of volume loss along the anterior-posterior hippocampal axis. CONCLUSIONS: These results confirm the presence of overall hippocampal volume decreases in patients with schizophrenia, but do not confirm a topographically specific localization of this effect. It appears that the hippocampal volume deficit in schizophrenia is diffuse, a finding that has important consequences for understanding the underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms in schizophrenia.
BACKGROUND: While the evidence for hippocampal structural abnormalities in schizophrenia is now well accepted, whether there is differentially greater volume loss within specific subregions of the hippocampus remains a matter of some debate. Here we present volume estimates of anterior and posterior hippocampal volumes using a novel morphometric protocol. METHODS: We studied 25 male patients with schizophrenia and 25 age-matched male control subjects. Hippocampal volumes were estimated using a three-dimensional morphometric protocol for the analysis of high-resolution structural magnetic resonance images (MRI). Anterior hippocampal volumes were differentiated from posterior hippocampal volumes by the presence of the uncus in coronal slices. RESULTS: While the patients with schizophrenia had significantly smaller overall hippocampal volumes relative to the control group, there was no evidence for a topographically specific pattern of volume loss along the anterior-posterior hippocampal axis. CONCLUSIONS: These results confirm the presence of overall hippocampal volume decreases in patients with schizophrenia, but do not confirm a topographically specific localization of this effect. It appears that the hippocampal volume deficit in schizophrenia is diffuse, a finding that has important consequences for understanding the underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms in schizophrenia.
Authors: Suzanne N Avery; Lisa E Williams; Austin A Woolard; Stephan Heckers Journal: Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci Date: 2013-09-11 Impact factor: 5.270
Authors: Suzanne N Avery; Maureen McHugo; Kristan Armstrong; Jennifer U Blackford; Simon Vandekar; Neil D Woodward; Stephan Heckers Journal: Schizophr Res Date: 2020-07-28 Impact factor: 4.939
Authors: Margaret L Schlichting; Katharine F Guarino; Anna C Schapiro; Nicholas B Turk-Browne; Alison R Preston Journal: J Cogn Neurosci Date: 2016-08-30 Impact factor: 3.225
Authors: Robert J Thoma; Mollie Monnig; Faith M Hanlon; Gregory A Miller; Helen Petropoulos; Andrew R Mayer; Ron Yeo; Matt Euler; Per Lysne; Sandra N Moses; Jose M Cañive Journal: J Int Neuropsychol Soc Date: 2009-02-10 Impact factor: 2.892