Volumes of ventricular system subdivisions measured from magnetic resonance images in first-episode schizophrenic patients.

In vivo brain imaging and postmortem investigations have demonstrated structural anomalies in the brains of schizophrenic patients. However, previous studies have not established clear relationships between the characteristic symptoms of the disorder and neuropathologic changes in specific brain regions. We have obtained high-resolution magnetic resonance brain images of first-episode schizophrenic and normal control subjects and, with a computerized mensuration system, determined the volumes of the different components of the entire ventricular system. Volumes of ventricular segments were significantly larger in patients than controls (differences ranged from 17% to 40%). Temporal horn enlargement consistently demonstrated significant correlations with a broad range of schizophrenic symptoms. Our data indicate that anomalies of limbic structures in the medial temporal lobe surrounding the temporal horn play a crucial pathophysiologic role in schizophrenia.