engleski

The onset of schizophrenia prior to the end of brain maturation alters grey matter volume loss

Purpose: Brain maturation (BM) is considered completed around the age of 25, when prefrontal cortex maturation has been achieved. Previous studies showed that early onset schizophrenia, prior to the age of 18, cause a more severe clinical presentation. The aim of our study was to investigate grey matter volume (GMV) alterations between schizophrenia patients (SP) with disease onset (DO) before completed BM and after completed BM. Methods or Background: The study included 100 SP which were divided into two groups of similar size according to DO – before the age of 25 (BABM) and after the age of 26 (AABM). The control group (CP) consisted of 50 healthy individuals. Brain magnetic resonance imaging was acquired on a 1.5 T scanner. Variance and co-variance analysis for GMV in correlation with the age of DO (BABM and AABM), as well as in correlation with the number of psychotic episodes (PE), including interactions and co-variables for total brain volume and age were calculated. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analyses were performed between groups. Results or Findings: A greater number of PE resulted in GMV reduction in both groups, but more in BABM. GMV reduction caused by multiple PE is much less pronounced in AABM. VBM analyses detected GMV reduction in the frontal cortex and the cerebellum when BABM was compared to AABM and CP respectively. Conclusion: Early DO of schizophrenia, prior to full BM, results in GMV reduction in comparison with healthy subjects and SP with later DO after completed BM. A more prominent effect of schizophrenia on the developing brain compared to the effect on a fully developed brain is suggested.

schizophrenia ; grey matter ; volumetry, psychotic episode

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