REDUCED STRIATAL SPINE SIZE IN SCHIZOPHRENIA - A POSTMORTEM ULTRASTRUCTURAL-STUDY

NUMEROUS studies using in vivo imaging or light microscopic analysis o f autopsy specimens have found abnormalities in the striatum of schizo phrenics. Striatal tissue from the Maryland Brain Collection with shor t postmortem intervals was used in the present study. Electron microgr aphs of striatal neuropil were digitized to determine the area of dend ritic spines. Spines were similar in size in both the caudate and the putamen in normal individuals. The spines in tissue from schizophrenic s were also similar in size between these two regions. However, striat al spines in schizophrenics were approximate to 30% smaller than in co ntrols (p<0.05). Since the majority of synapses in the striatum are fo rmed with spines, this change in the schizophrenic brain may represent aberrant synaptic conductance and/or efficacy.