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Increase in gray matter and decrease in white matter volumes in the cortex during treatment with atypical
Vicente Molina1, Santiago Reig, Javier Sanz
1Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Clínico Universitario, P S. Vicente, 58-182. Salamanca 37007, Spain. vmolina@usal.es
Schizophrenia Research
|September 10, 2005
Summary
Atypical antipsychotic treatment with risperidone and clozapine may alter brain volumes in patients with schizophrenia. These findings suggest potential neuroprotective effects of these medications on gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) deficits.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Radiology
Background:
- Schizophrenia is associated with brain volume deficits, particularly in gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM).
- The impact of atypical antipsychotic medications on these structural brain changes remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of two-year atypical antipsychotic treatment on brain volumes in schizophrenia patients.
- To compare these effects between treatment-naïve patients receiving risperidone and chronic treatment-resistant patients receiving clozapine.
Main Methods:
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to assess GM and WM volumes in frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal lobes.
- Two patient groups (treatment-naïve and chronic treatment-resistant) and healthy controls were studied over two years.
Main Results:
- Both patient groups showed GM increases and WM decreases in parietal and occipital lobes compared to controls.
- Frontal GM also increased in the chronic group treated with clozapine.
- Baseline brain volumes (GM deficit/WM excess) were inversely related to longitudinal volume changes.
Conclusions:
- Risperidone and clozapine treatment may influence GM and WM volumes in schizophrenia.
- Further research is needed to explore these neurobiological effects of atypical antipsychotics.