TOTAL NERVE-CELL NUMBER IN NEOCORTEX IN CHRONIC-SCHIZOPHRENICS AND CONTROLS ESTIMATED USING OPTICAL DISSECTORS

The total number of neurons was estimated in eight brains from chronic schizophrenic men and compared with 16 gender- and age-matched contro ls. The average total neocortical nerve cell number was 22.12.10(9) in schizophrenics and 22.06.10(9) in controls. The estimate of total cel l numbers can not demonstrate more subtle neuronal losses of specific cell types or cell loss in specific regions, but the result does not i ndicate that a major cell loss in the neocortex of schizophrenics is p art of the disease. The sampling scheme was based on a uniform samplin g design, the counting was performed using new stereological principle s and the majority of the cerebral cortex was left intact providing th e possibility for resampling and further analysis.