MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING IN FAMILIAL VERSUS SPORADIC CASES OF SCHIZOPHRENIA

Magnetic resonance imaging findings were compared in 22 familial and 2 9 sporadic cases with DSM-III-R diagnoses of schizophrenia, schizoaffe ctive, or schizophreniform disorders. Volumetric measurements were use d to assess the size of brain structures, including the cranium, cereb rum, lateral ventricles, temporal horns, third ventricle, lenticular n uclei, amygdaloid-hippocampal complex, and cerebellum as well as the a symmetry of the lateral ventricles. Increased volume of the lenticular nuclei and greater ventricular asymmetry (the left ventricle being la rger) were found in familial cases compared with sporadic cases and no rmal control subjects. It is possible that increased lenticular nuclei volume and greater lateral ventricular asymmetry reflect the role of genetic factors in schizophrenia.