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Pituitary volume in schizophrenia spectrum disorders
F Romo-Nava1, W S Hoogenboom, P E Pelavin
1Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
Schizophrenia Research
|March 26, 2013
Summary
Schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) show altered hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity, potentially impacting pituitary volume (PV). This study found smaller PV in males with schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) but not in other schizophrenia groups, suggesting medication effects may normalize PV in treated patients.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Endocrinology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Converging evidence suggests hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hyperactivity in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD).
- Aberrant HPA activity may influence pituitary gland volume (PV).
- Previous magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies on PV in SSD have yielded conflicting results.
Purpose of the Study:
- To further investigate pituitary volume (PV) in individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD).
- To explore potential volumetric consequences of HPA axis hyperactivity on the pituitary gland in SSD.
Main Methods:
- Manual tracing of pituitary volume (PV) on structural MRI scans.
- Analysis included subjects with schizotypal personality disorder (SPD), first-episode schizophrenia (FESZ), chronic schizophrenia (CHSZ), and healthy controls (HC).
- Statistical analysis (ANCOVA) controlled for age, education, socioeconomic status, and whole brain volume.
Main Results:
- Women exhibited larger PV than men.
- In males, all SSD groups showed smaller PV compared to HC, with statistical significance only in the SPD group.
- Medication dosage, illness duration, and age of onset were not associated with PV.
Conclusions:
- Chronic, untreated HPA hyperactivity may contribute to smaller PV in SPD.
- The absence of PV changes in FESZ and CHSZ might be due to the normalizing effects of antipsychotic medication.
- Studies on SPD offer a valuable model to investigate HPA-related alterations in SSD, minimizing medication confounds.
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