ANOMALIES OF CEREBRAL ASYMMETRY IN SCHIZOPHRENIA INTERACT WITH GENDERAND AGE-OF-ONSET - A POSTMORTEM STUDY

In a post-mortem study of cerebral asymmetry in schizophrenia it was f ound that asymmetry of the length from the frontal pole to the central sulcus measured dorsally over the external surface of the brain on bo th hemispheres, showed a gender x diagnosis interaction (p=0.002). Fem ale controls had a left-greater-than-right asymmetry, and the male con trols had a right-greater-than-left asymmetry. This pattern was revers ed in schizophrenia. The converse effect was observed on a similar mea sure of the occipito-parietal lobes (p=0.028). Significant changes wer e not seen in measures taken around the lateral surface of the hemisph eres. Further, within the patient group, the frontal lobe asymmetry wa s related to age of onset such that leftward asymmetrical brains were associated with a later age of onset than rightward asymmetrical brain s (p=0.0463 for the females; p=0.0162 for the males). The occipito-par ietal asymmetry was not related to age of onset. We conclude that the asymmetry of the relative distribution of tissue between frontal and p osterior regions of the hemispheres is altered in schizophrenia. The f indings also suggest that there is an interaction between gender and c erebral asymmetry that is critical in determining age of onset. (C) 19 98 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.