Correlations between ventricular enlargement and gray and white matter volumes of cortex, thalamus, striatum, and internal capsule in schizophrenia

Abstract

Ventricular enlargement is one of the most consistent abnormal structural brain findings in schizophrenia and has been used to infer brain shrinkage. However, whether ventricular enlargement is related to local overlying cortex and/or adjacent subcortical structures or whether it is related to brain volume change globally has not been assessed. We systematically assessed interrelations of ventricular volumes with gray and white matter volumes of 40 Brodmann areas (BAs), the thalamus and its medial dorsal nucleus and pulvinar, the internal capsule, caudate and putamen. We acquired structural MRI ( patients with schizophrenia (n = 64) and healthy controls (n = 56)) and diffusion tensor fractional anisotropy (FA) (untreated schizophrenia n = 19, controls n = 32). Volumes were assessed by manual tracing of central structures and a semi-automated parcellation of BAs. Patients with schizophrenia had increased ventricular size associated with decreased cortical gray matter volumes widely across the brain; a similar but less pronounced pattern was seen in normal controls; local correlations (e.g. temporal horn with temporal lobe volume) were not appreciably higher than non-local correlations (e.g. temporal horn with prefrontal volume). White matter regions adjacent to the ventricles similarly did not reveal strong regional relationships. FA and center of mass of the anterior limb of the internal capsule also appeared differentially influenced by ventricular volume but findings were similarly not regional. Taken together, these findings indicate that ventricular enlargement is globally interrelated with gray matter volume diminution but not directly correlated with volume loss in the immediately adjacent caudate, putamen, or internal capsule.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00406-011-0202-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

A schizophrenia-associated HLA locus affects thalamus volume and asymmetry

“…The thalamus has been extensively studied in relation to relaying and processing sensory and motor information, as well as regulating consciousness and sleep (Sherman and Guillery, 2000). Volumetric reductions of the thalamus, and alterations of its leftright volumetric asymmetry, have been reported to associate with schizophrenia (Adriano et al, 2010;Byne et al, 2009;Csernansky et al, 2004;Gaser et al, 2004;Haukvik et al, 2013;Horga et al, 2011;Jaaro-Peled et al, 2010;Portas et al, 1998;Qiu et al, 2009;Smith et al, 2011). The hippocampus has well-studied roles in long-term and working memory, which are abilities that are often impaired in people with schizophrenia (Aleman et al, 1999;Libby et al, 2013).…”

Are D-Neurons and Trace Amine-Associated Receptor, Type 1 Involved in Mesolimbic Dopamine Hyperactivity of Schizophrenia?

“…This may lead to the decrease of the amounts of trace amines in the nuclei, though direct evidences have not yet been demonstrated. Enlargement of the lateral ventricle [35,36], a usual finding documented in brain imaging studies of schizophrenia, might also be due to dysfunction of neural stem cells of the subventricular zone [7,8].…”

Why D-neuron? Importance in schizophrenia research

“…This may lead to the decrease of the amounts of trace amines in the nucleus, though direct evidences have not yet been demonstrated. Enlargement of the lateral ventricle [39,40], a usual finding documented in brain imaging studies of schizophrenia, may also be due to dysfunction of NSC of the subventricular zone [7,8].…”