Prefrontal enlargement of csf spaces in agoraphobia: A qualitative CT-scanstudy

1. This CT study was designed to assess brain morphology in 21 patients wit h agoraphobia and 21 normal control subjects matched for age and sex. 2. Internal and external CSF spaces were evaluated by qualitative assessmen t on a 3-point scale (normal, questionable, abnormal). 3. Patients showed bilateral enlargement of prefrontal CSF spaces (p<.05). The rating abnormal" was given in the left hemisphere to 6 (28.6%) of the p atients, to 4 (19%) of the patients in the right hemisphere, but to none (0 %) of the normal controls. 4. These findings suggest that alterations in brain morphology are involved in the etiology of agoraphobia.