Brain Volume Changes in First-Episode Schizophrenia

Abstract

BRAIN IMAGING studies have consistently demonstrated brain abnormalities in patients with schizophrenia.¹ These changes are largely confined to decreases in gray matter volumes and enlargement of the lateral and third ventricles.^2,3 Although the origin of schizophrenia is still unknown, schizophrenia has recently been considered to result in part from abnormalities in neurodevelopment. The neurodevelopmental theories of schizophrenia^4,5 are based on neurocognitive⁶ and motor problems⁷ observed in high-risk children and the apparent lack of progression in brain abnormalities over the course of the illness according to computed tomography^8-12 (but see Kemali et al¹³) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies.¹⁴ Some studies report that enlarged ventricles and decreases in brain volumes are already present at disease onset, which is consistent with the notion of a neurodevelopmental origin for the brain abnormalities found in schizophrenia.¹⁵