[Neuronal structure abnormality in the orbito-frontal cortex of schizophrenics]

Changes were described in the neuronal structure of neurones, impregnated after the method of Golgi-Bubenaite in schizophrenic patients. Investigations were done in area 11 (Brodmann 1909) of patients with paranoid-hallucinatory schizophrenia. Control cases were patients without any clinical or morphological brain diseases and patients with catatonic schizophrenia. 1.1 We investigated numerous typical triangle cells in lamina VI of patients with paranoid-hallucinatory schizophrenia. Only few were seen in the controls. 1.2 In the paranoid-hallucinatory schizophrenia brains there are lamina VI pyramidal cells with ramified apical dendrites reaching lamina II. 2. In lamina V there are many pyramidal cells with two to five apical dendrites, such cells were never seen in controls, these pyramids have only one main apical dendrite. 3. A small group of L III pyramids have atypical long spines. A lot of these spines have splitted spine heads. The spine number is significantly increased. 4. There is an atypical simplified angioarchitecture in paranoid hallucinatory schizophrenia-patients and no normal arborization of the brain vessels in three planes, like in controls. We think that the abnormal findings in paranoid-hallucinatory schizophrenia are not the consequence of specific therapeutics. We interpret our findings as possible variabilities of a normal brain structure.