Increased volume of the pigmented neurons in the locus coeruleus of schizophrenic subjects: a stereological study.

The locus coeruleus is the largest cluster of noradrenaline-producing neurons in the brain and has been involved in regulating attention. The neurotransmitter system contributes to the initiation and maintenance of forebrain activity as well as modulation of the collection and processing of sensory information. This makes locus coeruleus a target of interest in the study of possible structural changes in the brains of subjects with chronic schizophrenia. Uniform sampling and optical disectors were used for estimation of total neuron numbers and the rotator principle for estimation of mean cell volume. This study estimated the bilateral total number of pigmented neurons in the locus coeruleus of schizophrenic and control subjects and found no difference between the two; schizophrenic subjects have 37,400 (coefficient of variation=CV=SD/mean=0.28), control subjects have 35,500 (CV=0.19), p=0.64. The average volume of the cell perikaryon of pigmented neurons was measured in both groups and showed a significant larger cell volume in the locus coeruleus of schizophrenic compared to control subjects; mean locus coeruleus cell volume was 58,400 microm(3) (CV=0.31) in schizophrenic subjects, which is 55% larger than the 37,600 microm(3) (CV=0.33) found in control subjects, a difference of 20,800 microm(3) (p=0.009). The fixation time was significantly longer for the schizophrenic brains with an average of 169 months compared to 88 months for the control brains. No relation was found between total numbers or geometric mean volume of the pigmented cells and fixation time.