Depth of the olfactory sulcus: a marker of early embryonic disruption in schizophrenia?
Bruce I Turetsky1, Patrick Crutchley, Jeffrey Walker
1Neuropsychiatry Division, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA. turetsky@upenn.edu
Abstract:
Embryonic insults during early gestation increase the risk of schizophrenia. Abnormal forebrain development during this period is often characterized by a shallow olfactory sulcus. The adjacent orbital sulcus does not develop until the third trimester and so is immune to early intrauterine insults. We measured olfactory and orbital sulcal depths in 36 patients and 28 control subjects. Patients had shallower olfactory sulci, but normal orbital sulci. Olfactory and orbital sulcal depths were correlated in controls, but not in patients. Olfactory sulcal depth may therefore be a biomarker denoting an early embryonic disruption in individuals at risk for schizophrenia.
Related Concept Videos
Olfaction
The olfactory receptors are embedded in the cilia of the...
Biological Causes of Schizophrenia
Genetic Factors in Schizophrenia
The genetic basis of schizophrenia is strongly supported by family and twin studies.
Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure
Schizophrenia
Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within the...


