Cerebral ventricular asymmetry in schizophrenia: a high resolution 3D magnetic resonance imaging study

Lateral ventricular volume asymmetries in schizophrenia were studied using high resolution 3D magnetic resonance imaging in conjunction with segmentat ion and quantitation techniques. Comparisons were made between two clinical syndromes that have been associated with opposite patterns of functional h emispheric activation, namely an active and a withdrawn syndrome. Ratios of both left to right ventricular volume and left to right ventricle-to-brain ratios differed significantly between the two groups. These results primar ily reflected differences in the left ventricular volume, in keeping with p revious reports which have usually implicated left hemispheric structural a bnormalities in schizophrenia. It is suggested that a syndromal approach mi ght help to resolve some Of the inconsistencies in the existing literature on lateralised neuroanatomical differences in schizophrenia. (C) 1999 Elsev ier Science B.V. All rights reserved.