Three-dimensional mapping of temporo-limbic regions and the lateral ventricles in schizophrenia: Gender effects

Background: Local alterations in morphological parameters are poorly charac terized in several brain regions widely implicated in schizophrenia neuropa thology. Methods: Surface-based anatomical modeling was applied to magnetic resonanc e data to obtain three-dimensional (3D) average anatomical maps and measure s of location, shape, asymmetry, and volume for the lateral ventricles, hip pocampus, amygdala, and superior temporal gyrus in schizophrenic (n = 25; 1 5 male) and normal subjects (n = 28; 15 male) matched for demographic varia bles, For all regions, intra-group variability was visualized and group dif ferences assessed statistically to discriminate local alterations in anatom y across sex and diagnosis. Results: Posterior hippocampal volumes, lengths, and widths were reduced in patients. The right amygdala showed volume increases in schizophrenia pati ents versus controls, Ventricular enlargements, pronounced in the left hemi sphere, occurred in the superior and lateral dimensions in patients, and th ese effects interacted with gender. Superior horn anterior extremes, inferi or horn volumes, and hippocampal asymmetries exhibited gender effects. Sign ificant group differences were absent in superior temporal gyrus parameters . Finally, regional variability profiles differed across groups. Conclusions: Clear morphometric differences of the lateral ventricles, hipp ocampus, and amygdala indicate regional displacements and shape distortions in several functional systems in schizophrenia. Alterations in these struc tures as mapped in 3D may, provide the foundation for establishing brain ab normalities not previously defined at such a local level. (C) 2001 Society of Biological Psychiatry.