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Reduced volume of parietal and frontal association areas in patients with schizophrenia characterized by passivity
P Maruff1, S J Wood, D Velakoulis
1Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne & Sunshine Hospital, St Albans, Melbourne, Australia.
Background:
In patients with schizophrenia, passivity delusions are characterized by a difficulty in determining the agency of purposive actions. Neuropsychological and functional neuroimaging data suggest that passivity delusions are associated with dysfunction of the parietal lobe association cortex.
Method:
Cortical volume calculated from magnetic resonance imaging data in a group of 12 patients with schizophrenia characterized by motor passivity delusions was compared statistically with the cortical volume of 11 patients without passivity delusions.
Results:
Reduced cortical volume was observed in parietal and frontal association cortices in the passivity group.
Conclusions:
These data provide direct evidence for the involvement of the parietal lobe in the pathophysiology of passivity delusions in schizophrenia.
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