Ventricle-to-brain ratio in schizophrenia: a controlled follow-up study

Volume Changes in Gray Matter in Patients With Schizophrenia

“…In patients with childhood-onset schizophrenia, a fourfold decrease in cortical gray matter volume and an increase in ventricular volume were reported in a 2-year longitudinal study (13,14). Some studies have suggested an increase in ventricular volume in chronically ill patients over time (12,(15)(16)(17)(18), although usually only in those with a poor outcome of the disease (15-17, but see reference 12) or in a subgroup of patients (18). In other studies no changes in ventricular volume were found (19)(20)(21)(22)(23).…”

Ventricular enlargement, neuropsychological status, and premorbid function in schizophrenia

“…A second strategy for resolving this question would be to determine whether ventricular enlargement is present at the onset of schizophrenia and whether it progressed during the course of the illness. Findings in the literature are controversial, with evidence for (Miller 1989;Kemali et al 1989;Woods et al 1990) and against progression Illowsky et al 1988;Vita et al 1988;Sponheim et al 1991). Ventricle size appears to be unrelated to duration and treatment of schizophrenic illness (Farmer et al 1987;Lawson et al 1988).…”

Atrophic and Static (Neurodevelopmental) Schizophrenic Psychoses Premorbid Functioning, Symptoms and Neuroleptic Response

“…Nasrallah et al (1986), Kemali et al (1989), Woods et al (1990), andJaskiw et al (1994) reported apparent progressive ventricular enlargement in some, but not in all schizophrenics. Although most of the studies have shown at least a few patients with rapidly changing areas/volumes, the mean change in VBRs or ventricular volumes has only twice (Kemali et al 1989;Woods et al 1990) been greater than the error of the method.…”

“…Nasrallah et al (1986), Kemali et al (1989), Woods et al (1990), andJaskiw et al (1994) reported apparent progressive ventricular enlargement in some, but not in all schizophrenics. Although most of the studies have shown at least a few patients with rapidly changing areas/volumes, the mean change in VBRs or ventricular volumes has only twice (Kemali et al 1989;Woods et al 1990) been greater than the error of the method. A meta-analysis of such data however, reveals that the rate of VBR increase (not the VBR itself) does not fit a normal distribution pattern, but resembles a bimodal pattern, with one group of patients showing a rate of change within the error of the method, and another group of patients showing a excessive rate of increase substantially outside of the method's error.…”

“…Brain atrophy can most reasonably explain the progressive increase in ventricular volume (exceeding the increase found in the normal population) and loss of brain volume, documented in a few studies of patients with schizoprhenia. Moore et al (1935) and Haug (1962) (both using pneumoencephalography), and Kemali et al (1989) and Woods et al (1990) (using computerized axial tomography [CAT]), all reported a high rate of ventricular expansion in many patients with schizophrenia. Other serial CAT studies (Nasrallah et al 1986;Illowsky et al 1988;Vita et al 1988;Jaskiw et al 1994), although often finding ventricular volume increases in some subjects, did not find a significant mean change over time.…”