[Morphometric analysis of synaptic contacts in the anterior limbic cortex in endogenous psychoses]

Electron microscopic morphometric study of synaptic contacts on dendritic spines and shafts was performed in layer II of the anterior cingulate cortex (area 24) of autopsy brain of paranoid schizophrenics (n-5), manic-depressive patients (MDP) (n-2) and controls (n-7). The areal synaptic density on dendritic spines increased significantly (p less than 0.001) in both groups of endogenous psychosis. The synaptic density on dendritic shafts decreased by 40% in schizophrenia and did not differ from controls in MDP. In schizophrenia, the percentage relations between different forms of synapses on dendritic spines (convex, concave and flat; symmetric and asymmetric; perforated and ++non-perforated++) differed from MDP and controls.