IQ AND BRAIN SIZE IN SCHIZOPHRENIA

In a previous study of normal control subjects, positive correlations were demonstrated between intelligence, as measured by the Wechsler Ad ult Intelligence Scale-Revised, and various measures of brain size, as assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (Andreasen et al., 1993). The goal of this study was to see if these findings generalized to schizop hrenia. Corresponding analyses were performed in a group of DSM-III-R schizophrenic patients (50 men and 22 women) and compared with a subse t of those normal control subjects (32 men and 27 women) who were equi valent to the patient group in their age and the educational and socio economic background of their families of origin. Full Scale IQ score w as found to be uncorrelated with any of the regions of interest for th e patient group as a whole. When subjects were divided by sex, the fem ale patients were found to have a pattern of correlations similar to t hat of normal control subjects, while no such relationship was apparen t among the male patients. These differences did not appear to be attr ibutable to variability in symptom severity. Thus, there appear to be gender-related differences in brain structure/function relationships i n schizophrenic patients versus normal control subjects.