Perigenual cingulate gyrus volume in patients with schizophrenia: a magnetic resonance imaging study

Anterior cingulate gyrus abnormalities have been suggested to be involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia; however, little is known about morphologic changes in the perigenual cingulate gyrus in schizophrenia patients.

We investigated perigenual cingulate gyrus volume in 40 schizophrenia patients (20 men, 20 women) and 40 age- and gender-matched normal controls using magnetic resonance imaging. Volume of both gray and white matter of the perigenual cingulate gyrus was measured on consecutive axial 1-mm slices.

Total (left and right) perigenual cingulate gray matter volume was significantly reduced in female schizophrenia patients compared with female controls. There was no significant difference in the gray matter volume of the perigenual cingulate gyrus between male patients and male controls. Left perigenual cingulate white matter volume was significantly reduced in the patient compared with the control group. Furthermore, significant gender differences were found in the total gray and white matter volume of the perigenual cingulate gyrus in control subjects (women > men), although these gender differences were not significant in the patient group.

Our findings suggests volume reduction of the perigenual cingulate gyrus in schizophrenia patients, especially women and that gender differences in perigenual cingulate morphology among normal subjects are, as has been suggested for other parts of the brain, reduced in schizophrenia patients.