Synaptic changes in the striatum of schizophrenic cases: a controlled postmortem ultrastructural study

Although studies indicate abnormalities in the striatum of schizophrenic people, little information exists on the synaptic changes that may be present at the ultrastructural level. Autopsy specimens of striatal tissue from people with schizophrenia, normal controls, and psychiatric controls were obtained from the Maryland Brain Collection. Several abnormalities were noted in the schizophrenic group that were not present in the normal or psychiatric controls. In schizophrenic tissue, the density and/or proportion of symmetric synaptic profiles, particularly those ending on spines, were lower in the caudate vs. the putamen, implying an imbalance in inhibitory synaptic transmission between these two structures. The density of perforated synaptic profiles, cortical afferents thought to be involved in synaptic turnover and cognition, was lower in the striatum of the schizophrenic group compared to the control groups. The density of axodendritic synaptic profiles, particularly of the asymmetric type, was decreased in the caudate, but not the putamen, of a subset of schizophrenic cases that were nondyskinetic and off drugs (NDODS). The proportion of asymmetric axospinous synaptic profiles was elevated in the caudate of the NDODS cases in comparison to normal controls. The variety of synapses affected in the schizophrenic group implies the involvement of several neuronal circuits. The alterations observed in the schizophrenic striatum were usually due to changes in the caudate, but not the putamen, which argues against drug-related alterations. Since the striatum, particularly the caudate nucleus, is involved in cognition and emotion, these neuroanatomical changes could underlie, in part, aspects of schizophrenic psychopathology.