BRAIN TORQUE AND SEX-DIFFERENCES IN SCHIZOPHRENIA

The opposing asymmetry of the frontoparietal brain regions has been re ferred to as 'torque' and may be used as an index of speed of neurodev elopment. It has been recently suggested that torque is minimized in m ale schizophrenia, reflecting anomalous neurodevelopment. This study e xamined volumetric and linear torque in a group of 20 schizophrenia pa tients and 20 healthy individuals; all were right-handed and under the age of 46 years. None of the main or interaction effects on torque we re statistically significant, although the sex difference in torque am ong schizophrenia patients (male larger than female) was more than sev en times that in healthy subjects. Torque was significantly associated with years of education and age of illness onset (schizophrenia). The se findings support the hypothesis that slowed neurodevelopment may be associated with male schizophrenia and may contribute to earlier age of onset and fewer years of education. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.