MORPHOLOGICAL ALTERATIONS OF CORPUS-CALLO SUM IN SCHIZOPHRENIA

Morphological brain alterations have long been noted in schizophrenia, although it is unclear whether they are a consequence of an early dis turbance in brain development or represent a deterioration of a normal brain structure. The purpose of the present study is to establish a r elationship between corpus callosum (CC) surface and perimeter. A fema le right handed schizophrenic group (n = 31) was compared with a contr ol group (n = 25) of comparable sex, age (range: 40-68 years) and hand edness on measures of the CC area from a midsagittal T1 weighted image magnetic resonance imaging. Patients completed DSM IV criteria for Re sidual Schizophrenia. Patients with a known history of brain injury or neurologic illness were excluded. All had received neuroleptic drugs but no electroconvulsive treatment. Control and schizophrenic groups w ere subdivided into two age-ranges (E1 less than or equal to 54 years and E2 >54 years). Mean +/- SE (cm(2)) of CC surface in controls E les s than or equal to 54 and E > 54 were respectively 7.09 +/- 0.42 and 8 .97 +/- 0.62 (p < 0.01) and in schizophrenics E less than or equal to 54 and E > 54 were respectively 7.61 +/- 0.24 and 6.60 +/- 0.29 (p < 0 .05). Among control and schizophrenic E > 54 sub-groups there were sig nificant differences (p < 0.01). Statistically significant differences among sub-group values were obtained through analysis of variance.Cor relation coefficient (r) between age and surface in control and schizo phrenic groups were respectively 0.55; p < 0.05 and -0.45; p < 0.02. O ur results provide evidence that chronic female schizophrenic patients have diminished CC surface and altered proportionality among surface and perimeter, that increases with age. However, in the control group, there is an increment of corpus callosum surface without altered peri meter proportionality.