Dynamic mapping of hippocampal development in childhood onset schizophrenia

Prior cross-sectional anatomic brain imaging studies of the hippocampus in schizophrenia have generally shown loss in total hippocampal volume although the progressive course of these changes remains unknown. We report the first prospective sub-regional maps of hippocampal development in childhood onset schizophrenia (COS), reconstructed from serial brain MRI scans of 29 children with COS scanned every 2 years (87 scans) and compared to 31 controls matched for age, sex, and scan interval (94 scans). As expected, the COS subjects showed significant bilateral deficits (9-10%) in total hippocampal volume which remained consistent between age 9 and 26. However sub-regional maps showed heterogeneous changes with loss of hippocampal volume in both anterior as well as posterior ends while the body of the hippocampus gained in volume suggesting that hippocampal subunits are differentially affected in schizophrenia.