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Reduced pineal gland volume across the stages of schizophrenia

Tsutomu Takahashi1, Mihoko Nakamura1, Daiki Sasabayashi1

  • 1Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan.

Schizophrenia Research
|December 12, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Reduced pineal gland volume is present in individuals with at-risk mental state (ARMS) and schizophrenia (Sz), suggesting it is a static marker. This brain abnormality likely indicates an early neurodevelopmental issue, not a progressive change over time.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroimaging
  • Psychiatry
  • Neurodevelopmental disorders

Background:

  • Previous magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies suggest reduced pineal gland volume in chronic schizophrenia (Sz).
  • The role of melatonin in schizophrenia pathophysiology is implicated, but early-stage and progressive changes in pineal volume remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate pineal gland volume in first-episode schizophrenia (FESz), chronic Sz, and at-risk mental state (ARMS) populations.
  • To determine if pineal gland volume changes longitudinally in these groups.
  • To explore associations between pineal volume and clinical variables.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional and longitudinal MRI analysis of pineal gland volume.
  • Inclusion of 64 FESz patients, 40 chronic Sz patients, 22 ARMS individuals, and 84 healthy controls.
  • Longitudinal assessment in subsamples over a mean interval of 2.5 years.

Main Results:

  • ARMS, FESz, and chronic Sz groups exhibited significantly smaller pineal gland volumes compared to healthy controls.
  • No significant changes in pineal volume were observed over time in any group during longitudinal analysis.
  • Pineal volume showed no association with symptom severity or medication in ARMS and Sz groups.

Conclusions:

  • A smaller pineal gland appears to be a static vulnerability marker for schizophrenia.
  • This finding suggests an early neurodevelopmental abnormality rather than a progressive change associated with illness progression.
Keywords:
At-risk mental stateFirst-episode schizophreniaMagnetic resonance imagingMelatoninPineal glandVulnerability

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