Temporal lobe structure as determined by nuclear magnetic resonance in schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder.

Abstract

SUMMARY Temporal lobe structure has been assessed by magnetic resonance imaging in groups of patients with schizophrenia (n = 21) bipolar affective disorder (n = 20) and normal controls (n = 21). In the temporal lobe area a significant (p < 0.05) diagnosis by side interaction was present, the area being less on the left than on the right side in patients with schizophrenia in contrast to findings in the two other groups. Lateral ventricular and temporal horn area did not distinguish the groups as a whole. However, there was a significant (p < 0-05) relationship between lateral ventricular area and poor outcome, and in an analysis confined to males, patients with schizophrenia (n = 15) were found to have significantly (p < 0-05) enlarged temporal horns.Computed tomography has demonstrated that some patients with schizophrenia have enlargement of the lateral cerebral ventricles.`-3 A study of post-mortem brains collected at Runwell Hospital (the Runwell I series) in which brains from schizophrenic patients were compared with those from affectively ill patients4 confirmed the finding of reduction of brain substance in schizophrenia but found the most striking differences lay in the temporal lobe. The inferior horns of the lateral ventricle were significantly larger and the width of the parahippocampal gyrus significantly less in the schizophrenic patients. In a further study' brains of patients with schizophrenia were compared with normal controls (the Runwell II series). From an initial sample of 56 patients and 56 age-matched controls, brains were excluded if they showed evidence of previous surgery, or significant Alzheimer type or vascular change on histological examination, to give a final sample of 19 schizophrenic patients and 23 controls. The increased size of the lateral ventricles in the schizophrenic patients became increasingly prominent posteriorly and was greatest in the inferior

An MRI study of temporal lobe abnormalities and negative symptoms in chronic schizophrenia

“…Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have consistently reported temporal lobe abnormalities in schizophrenia (e.g., Johnstone et al, 1989;Bogerts et al, 1990;Becker et al, 1996; see also reviews by Shenton et al, 1997Shenton et al, , 2001aPearlson, 1997;McCarley et al, 1999). Of particular note are MRI findings of Barta et al (1990) of an association between auditory hallucinations with anteriorsuperior temporal gyrus (STG) and the findings of Shenton et al (1992) of an association between posterior STG and thought disorder, which have spurred even greater interest in this brain region.…”

Schizophrenia and viral infection during neurodevelopment: a focus on mechanisms

“…8,137,138 Abnormalities of laterality have also been revealed by brain imaging studies measuring subregional tissue volume, blood flow, and metabolism. [139][140][141][142] The hippocampus and other temporal lobe structures appear to be prominently affected. There is an unclear relationship between these structural abnormalities, and the behavioral asymmetries in schizophrenia which are purportedly manifested in motor, sensory, language and cognitive function.…”

A quantitative MR measure of the fornix in schizophrenia

“…Currently, the most robust MR findings include enlargement of the lateral ventricles, especially in the left temporal horn (e.g. Johnstone et al, 1989;Dauphinais et al, 1990), and medial temporal lobe reduction (e.g. Woods et al, 1996), which, we note are likely "importantly related to disturbances in associative links in memory" (see review in Squire and Zola-Morgan, 1991;Squire, 1992;Nestor et al, 1993;Shenton et al, 1997, p. 340).…”