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MRI abnormalities in tardive dyskinesia.
C C Mion1, N C Andreasen, S Arndt
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City 52242.
Psychiatry Research
|November 1, 1991
Summary
This study found smaller caudate nucleus volumes in schizophrenic patients with tardive dyskinesia (TD). These brain abnormalities may be linked to TD development alongside neuroleptic use.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Radiology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is often hypothesized to stem from striatal neurochemical imbalances.
- Previous CT studies on brain abnormalities in TD patients yielded conflicting results.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate potential neuropathological differences in the basal ganglia of young schizophrenic patients with TD.
- To compare brain structures between schizophrenic patients with TD, those without TD, and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was employed to measure specific brain region volumes.
- Measured volumes included the caudate nucleus, putamen, globus pallidus, lateral ventricle, and intracranium.
Main Results:
- Schizophrenic patients with TD exhibited significantly smaller caudate nucleus volumes compared to both patients without TD and normal controls.
- No significant differences were noted in other measured brain structures.
Conclusions:
- Reduced caudate nucleus volume may represent a neuropathological substrate predisposing to TD in schizophrenic patients using neuroleptics.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the pathophysiological mechanisms and the role of neuroleptics in these structural changes.