BRAIN DYSMORPHOLOGY IN ADULTS WITH CONGENITAL-RUBELLA PLUS SCHIZOPHRENIALIKE SYMPTOMS

Brain morphology was quantified with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in adult patients with congenital rubella who also had schizophreniali ke symptoms. MRIs were compared with those of adult early-onset schizo phrenic patients without congenital rubella and age-matched healthy co ntrol subjects. The rubella patients had significantly smaller intracr anial volumes and shorter stature than the schizophrenic patients or t he controls; however, both patient groups had smaller cortical gray ma tter, but not white matter volumes than the control group, even when t he MRI volumes were corrected for head size and age. In addition, both patient groups showed significant enlargement of the lateral ventricl es bur not cortical sulci when compared with expected values of normal adults of the same age and head size. Overall, the pattern of dysmorp hology was identical in the rubella and the schizophrenic groups. The observations in the rubella group are consistent with a developmental lesion that limits full brain growth, with the small intracranial volu me due at least in part to a severe cortical gray matter volume defici t. Thus, the brain dysmorphology of congenital rubella may provide art instance of prenatal viral infection that models the schizophrenic pa ttern and provides indirect support for a developmental hypothesis of the neuropathogenesis of schizophrenia.