Mid-sagittal anatomy in late-onset schizophrenia

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Psychiatry
• Neuroanatomy

Background:

• Midline brain structure abnormalities, including the corpus callosum and cerebellum, are known in early-onset schizophrenia.
• It remains unknown if similar abnormalities exist in late-onset schizophrenia (LOS).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate mid-sagittal brain region areas, specifically the corpus callosum and cerebellum, in patients with late-onset schizophrenia (LOS).
• To compare these brain structures between LOS, early-onset schizophrenia (EOS), and healthy controls (NC).

Main Methods:

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to examine mid-sagittal cross-sectional areas of the corpus callosum and cerebellum.
• Patients with LOS (N=25) were compared to EOS (N=24) and healthy controls (N=30) matched for age and gender.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant differences were found in corpus callosum area or corpus callosum to cerebrum ratios across the LOS, EOS, and NC groups.
• Cross-sectional cerebellar areas and cerebellum:cerebrum ratios also did not differ among the groups.
• A smaller brainstem, specifically the pons, was observed in both schizophrenic groups (LOS and EOS) compared to controls.

Conclusions:

• No abnormalities were detected in the mid-sagittal area of the corpus callosum and cerebellum in either early- or late-onset schizophrenia subjects.
• The clinical significance of the smaller pontine cross-sectional area requires further investigation and replication using volumetric measures.