QUANTITATIVE MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING OF THE CORPUS-CALLOSUM IN CHILDHOOD-ONSET SCHIZOPHRENIA

Corpus callosum size has been found to be abnormal in adult schizophre nia, and other studies have implicated abnormal interhemispheric commu nication in this disorder. To assess continuity with brain abnormaliti es in the later onset disorder and to further localize brain maldevelo pment, this structure was examined in a unique sample of childhood ons et schizophrenics. Anatomic brain magnetic resonance imaging scans wer e acquired for 25 patients (mean age 13.9 +/- 2.1) who had onset of sc hizophrenia by age 12 (mean age at onset 9.9 +/- 1.9) and 55 normal ch ildren. The midsagittal area of the corpus callosum was divided into s even sections. With no adjustment for brain volume, no diagnostic diff erences were observed. After adjustment for the smaller cerebral volum e of the schizophrenics, larger total, anterior and posterior corpus c allosum areas emerged for the schizophrenics. These findings provide f urther evidence for continuity between childhood onset and later onset schizophrenia and support other studies showing white matter sparing in the context of decreased cortical volume. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.