These findings suggest that in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, hippocampal volume is influenced in part by schizophrenia susceptibility genes and an interaction of these genes with fetal hypoxia. They further suggest that hippocampal volume in schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder may be linked to time of disease onset.

Although hippocampal volume in healthy individuals is largely affected by genetic factors, it is subject to substantially greater modulation by environmental factors in schizophrenic patients and their relatives. The results are discussed in view of assumptions underlying classic twin methods.

No abstract

Children with 22q11.2 microdeletions (Velocardiofacial Syndrome; VCFS) have previously been shown to exhibit learning deficits and elevated rates of psychopathology. The aim of this study was to assess regional brain abnormalities in children with 22q11DS, and to determine the relationship of these measures to neurocognitive and behavioral function. Thirteen children with confirmed deletions and 9 demographically matched comparison subjects were assessed with a neurocognitive battery, behavioral measures, and high-resolution MRI. Twenty-two qllDS children showed a nonsignificant 4.3% global decrease in total brain volume as compared to healthy controls,with differential reduction in white matter, and significantly increased sulcal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in temporal and posterior brain regions. In 22q11 DS subjects, but not controls, bilateral temporal gray and white matter volumes were significant predictors of overall cognitive performance. Further, reduced temporal gray matter was associated with elevated Thought Problems score on the CBCL. Results indicate that global alterations in brain volume are common in children with 22q deletions, particularly those with low IQ and/or behavioral disturbance. Although preliminary,these findings suggest a possible underlying pathophysiology of the cognitive deficits seen in this syndrome,and provide insight into complex gene-brain-behavior relationships.

The electromechanical and -physiological effects of beauvericin were studied in isolated smooth and heart muscle preparations of the guinea pig. Beauvericin concentration-dependently decreased the force of contraction in precontracted (60 mM KCl) terminal ilea with an IC50 of 0.86 microM, and in electrically stimulated (1 Hz) papillary muscles with an IC50 of 18 microM. This negative inotropic effect in papillary muscles was antagonised in a non-competitive way by increased extracellular calcium concentrations. Spontaneous activity in right atria was affected at concentrations > 10 microM beauvericin. The negative chronotropic effect was less pronounced than the negative inotropic effect. In action potentials of electrically driven (1 Hz) papillary muscles, 10 microM beauvericin significantly decreased membrane resting potential until unexcitability of the preparation occurred. Despite depolarisation of the membrane the maximum rate of rise of the action potential was not changed. The action potential duration was shortened, but the decrease was only significant at times to 20% and 50% repolarisation. These data, derived from the electrophysiological experiments, not only imply an effect on the calcium current as suggested by the effects on contractility, but also an interaction with the sodium inward and potassium outward currents.