G. Rosoklija et al., Structural abnormalities of subicular dendrites in subjects with schizophrenia and mood disorders - Preliminary findings, ARCH G PSYC, 57(4), 2000, pp. 349-356
Background: Postmortem studies of the subiculum from subjects with schizoph
renia have detected smaller pyramidal cell bodies and diminished immunoreac
tivity for the dendritic protein, microtubule-associated protein 2. While t
hese findings suggest that subicular pyramidal cell dendrites may be struct
urally altered in subjects with schizophrenia, this possibility had not bee
n tested directly.
Methods: Rapid Golgi impregnation of archival brain specimens was used to c
ompare the morphologic characteristics of subicular dendrites in subjects w
ith schizophrenia (n = 13) and mood disorders (n = 6) with subjects without
psychiatric disease (n = 8). The specimens were processed and analyzed by
physicians blind to diagnosis. The extent of dendritic trees in the subicul
um and fusiform gyrus was examined by Sholl analysis. Spine density on apic
al dendrites of subicular pyramidal cells was determined at a fixed distanc
e from the cell body.
Results: Spine density and arborization of subicular apical dendrites were
significantly related to diagnostic group. Spine density was significantly
lower in the schizophrenia and mood disorder groups than in the nonpsychiat
ric group. Among the mood disorder cases, diminished spine density was appa
rently related to a strong family history of major psychiatric diseases. Th
ere were no significant effects of diagnostic group on Sholl analysis of no
napical subicular dendrites nor on Sholl analysis of dendrites of neocortic
al pyramidal cells in the fusiform gyrus.
Conclusions: We have observed an association between schizophrenia and majo
r mood disorders and structural abnormalities of subicular apical dendrites
. Further studies are needed to test this association in a larger sample an
d to evaluate the potential role of family history and of confounding facto
rs, such as medications and chronic institutionalization.