Volumetric analysis of frontal lobe regions in schizophrenia: Relation to cognitive function and symptomatology

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the structure of dorso lateral, medial, and orbital regions of the frontal lobe in schizophrenia, and to determine whether their volumetric measurements were related to cogn itive function and symptomatology. Methods: High resolution magnetic resonance imaging scans of the brains of 14 schizophrenic patients and 14 closely matched healthy controls were acqu ired. Volumes of gray and white matter of the left and right dorsolateral, medial, and orbital prefrontal brain regions were measured. Tests of verbal and visual memory and executive functions were used to assess cognitive fu nction. The SANS and SAPS were used to obtain symptom ratings in patients. Results: Data of 13 schizophrenic patients were analyzed Patients showed a general, though not significant, decrease in volumes of frontal regions as compared to controls. In patients, but not in controls, smaller left and ri ght prefrontal gray matter volumes were significantly correlated with impai red performance on immediate recall in verbal and visual memory and semanti c fluency. Furthermore, in patients, smaller total orbitofrontal gray matte r volume was significantly correlated with more severe negative symptomatol ogy (r(s) = -.76, p =.006). Conclusions: These findings suggest that in schizophrenia, deficits in verb al and visual memory and semantic fluency and negative symptoms may be rela ted to (subtle) abnormalities in frontal lobe structure. (C) 1999 Society o f Biological Psychiatry.