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Pituitary volume in psychosis
Carmine M Pariante1, Konstantina Vassilopoulou, Dennis Velakoulis
1Division of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK. spjucmp@iop.kcl.ac.uk
Summary
First-episode psychosis is linked to a larger pituitary gland volume due to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activation. Established schizophrenia shows a smaller pituitary volume, possibly from repeated HPA axis hyperactivity.
Area of Science:
- Neuroendocrinology
- Psychiatry
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Patients with psychosis exhibit hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activation during acute phases.
- The impact of psychosis on pituitary gland morphology remains largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate variations in pituitary gland volume across different stages of psychotic disorders.
- To correlate pituitary volume changes with the progression of psychosis.
Main Methods:
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to measure pituitary gland volume.
- The study included 24 individuals with first-episode psychosis, 51 with established schizophrenia, and 59 healthy controls.
Main Results:
- Individuals with first-episode psychosis showed a 10% larger pituitary volume compared to controls.
- Individuals with established schizophrenia exhibited a 17% smaller pituitary volume than controls.
- No significant difference in pituitary volume was observed between typical and atypical antipsychotic users in psychosis groups.
Conclusions:
- Acute psychosis is associated with an enlarged pituitary gland, likely due to HPA axis activation.
- Reduced pituitary volume in chronic schizophrenia may result from recurrent HPA axis hyperactivity.
- Pituitary volume serves as a potential biomarker for psychosis progression.