Cell loss in the hippocampus of schizophrenics

Abstract

To investigate whether volume reduction of the hippocampal formation of schizophrenics, as described previously, is paralleled by loss of neurons and fibre systems, tissue volumes and cell numbers of all parts of the hippocampal formation in post mortem brains of 13 schizophrencis and 11 agematched controls belonging to the Vogt collection were determined. Volumes of the whole hippocampal formation (P < 0.01), the whole pyramidal band (P < 0.001) and the hippocampal segments CA1/CA2 (P < 0.01), CA3 (P < 0.05), CA4 (P < 0.01) were decreased, whereas no significant volume reduction of the alveus and fimbria hippocampi and presubiculum/subiculum could be found. The perforant path showed a trend towards volume reduction (P < 0.1). The absolute number of pyramidal cells (tissue volume × cell density) was diminished in CA1/CA2 (P < 0.05), CA3 (P < 0.05) and CA4 (P < 0.05), but was not significantly changed in the prosubiculum/subiculum, the presubiculum/parasubiculum and the granular cell layer of the dentate fascia. Pyramidal cell loss in CA1/CA2, CA3, CA4 was more distinct in the paranoid patients than in catatonics. The findings are discussed with respect to current hypotheses of limbic dysfunction in schizophrenia.