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Relationship between brain structure and function in disorders of the schizophrenic spectrum: single positron emission computerized tomography, computerized tomography and psychopathology of first episodes
Author(s) -
Rubin P.,
Hemmingsen R.,
Holm S.,
MøllerMadsen S.,
Hertel C.,
Povlsen U. J.,
Karle A.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1994.tb01594.x
Subject(s) - psychopathology , psychology , cerebral blood flow , schizophreniform disorder , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , psychosis , prefrontal cortex , positron emission tomography , temporal cortex , neuroimaging , cardiology , medicine , neuroscience , psychiatry , schizoaffective disorder , cognition
Fifty newly diagnosed, briefly treated or drug‐naive patients with schizophrenia or schizophreniform disorder were examined by psychopathology scales for positive (SAPS), negative (SANS) and overall psychotic symptoms (PSE and BPRS). CT‐scan and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) measurement by 99m Tc‐HMPAO SPECT during rest and mental activation by Wisconsin Card Sorting Test was performed as well. Twenty‐five age‐matched normal healthy volunteers served as controls. Thought disorders and fundamental symptoms correlated positively with relatively high, though subnormal prefrontal (PFC) rCBF and high rCBF in temporal cortex; positive symptoms correlated positively with high rCBF in the striatum and temporal cortex during activation. Negative symptoms correlated with high prefrontal rCBF. The patients had sulcal enlargement and smaller brain volume compared with the healthy volunteers. There were no signs of ventricular enlargement. Neither total negative symptoms, thought disorder nor fundamental symptoms correlated with any CT measurements. Total positive symptoms correlated negatively with the size of the temporal horns. The relatively high rCBF in PFC and temporal cortex of cases with pronounced positive and negative symptoms and thought disorder may imply that an aberrant cortical network has to be active to express a malattuned clinical output. The striatal hyperfunction mainly in productive cases may be a secondary phenomenon and more pronounced in cases where no signs of subcortical atrophy has (yet?) ensued.