Advances in neuroimaging have enabled studies of specific neuroanatomical abnormalities with relevance to schizophrenia. This study quantified structural alterations on brain magnetic resonance (MR) images of patients with schizophrenia. MR brain imaging was done on 88 control and 57 schizophrenic subjects and Dicom images were analyzed with ImageJ software. The brain volume was estimated with the planimetric stereological technique. The volume fraction of brain structures was also estimated. The results showed that, the mean volume of right, left, and total hemispheres in controls were 551, 550, and 1101 cm 3 , respectively. The mean volumes of right, left, and total hemispheres in schizophrenics were 513, 512, and 1026 cm 3 , respectively. The schizophrenics' brains were smaller than the controls (p < 0.05). The mean volume of total white matter of controls (516 cm 3 ) was bigger than the schizophrenics' volume (451 cm 3 ), (p < 0.05). The volume fraction of total white matter was also lower in schizophrenics (p < 0.05). Volume fraction of the lateral ventricles was higher in schizophrenics (p < 0.05). According to the findings, the volumes of schizophrenics' brain were smaller than the controls and the volume fractional changes in schizophrenics showed sex dependent differences. We conclude that stereological analysis of MR brain images is useful for quantifying schizophrenia related structural changes.
Most investigations on Parkinson’s disease (PD) focus on the basal ganglia and brainstem, whereas the cerebellum has often been overlooked. The cerebellum is critical for motor control and increasing evidence suggests that it may be associated with the pathophysiology of PD. The aim of this study was to describe cerebral and cerebellar volumes in patients with PD and to compare results with healthy subjects. In the present study, 18 patients with PD (8 female, 10 male) and 19 controls (9 females, 10 males) were included. Structural magnetic resonance (MR) imaging was performed in both groups with a 1.5 Tesla scanner. The images were analyzed using ImageJ software. Volumes were estimated via planimetry and threshold stereological methods. The mean total cerebral volumes were 943.19 ± 91.67 cm3 in control group and 909.83 ± 95.88 cm3 in patients. The mean total cerebellar volumes and the volume fractions were found 140.44 ± 21.68 cm3, 14.94 ± 2.17 % in control group and 140.52 ± 15.96 cm3, 15.52 ± 1.73% in patients, respectively. There were no significant differences found in terms of cerebral and cerebellar parameters. Our knowledge about cerebellum and PD interaction remains limited, although, the cerebellum is a potential target for some parkinsonian symptoms. Further investigations are needed to understand the role of cerebellum in PD using newly developing imaging techniques.
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