MRI abnormalities of the hippocampus and cavum septi pellucidi in females with schizotypal personality disorder

Abstract

Objective-This study examined MRI hippocampal volume and cavum septi pellucidi (CSP) in female subjects with schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) and comparison subjects.Method-MRI was performed on 20 SPD and 29 comparison subjects with delineation of left and right hippocampi. Number of slices containing the CSP was counted. Subjects were given a working memory task, the Delayed Alternation task and other measures of working memory including the Wechsler Memory Test-Revised and the California Verbal Learning Test. Clinical measures were derived from the SCID-II.Results-SPD females evinced bilaterally smaller hippocampal volumes compared with nonpsychiatric female subjects (15.1% on left, 15.7% on right). Additionally, SPD subjects showed statistically significantly more slices containing CSP, and a trend level difference when large CSP was defined as four or more slices (20% vs. 6.9%). SPD subjects demonstrated more errors, more perseverations, and a trend toward more failure to maintain set on the Delayed Alternating task, which were associated with smaller left hippocampal volumes. There was no difference between groups in logical memory, verbal learning or semantic clustering nor a significant correlation between these measures and hippocampal volumes. Clinically, in SPD subjects, right hippocampal volumes correlated negatively with odd appearance/behavior and positively with suspiciousness/paranoia, and odd speech was positively correlated with the number of slices containing a CSP in exploratory analyses.Conclusions-Female SPD subjects showed bilaterally smaller hippocampal volumes and larger CSP than comparison subjects, similar to what has been shown in schizophrenia. Moreover, these abnormalities have clinically significant associations which may help to explain some of the manifestations of the disorder.

Schizophrenia—a parameters’ game?

“…The same volume reduction has been observed in schizotypal disorders (Dickey et al, 2007). This is consistent with the hypothesis that hypercortisolism could result in hippocampal neurotoxicity in conditions such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.…”

Clinical correlates of enlarged cavum septum pellucidum in schizophrenia: A revisit through computed tomography

“…Earlier studies did not examine use of antipsychotics (DeLisi et al, 1993;Flashman et al, 2007;Jurjus et al, 1993;Kwon et al, 1998;Nopoulos et al, 1997;Rajarethinam et al, 2001;Shioiri et al, 1996). As these drugs may influence measures of CSP and may influence morphological alterations in brain regions related to CSP (Dickey et al, 2007;Chakos et al, 2005;McClure et al, 2006;Girgis et al, 2006), we examined the pattern of use of antipsychotics between groups. Fukuzako et al (1996) found that higher doses of neuroleptics were used in patients of schizophrenia who had CSP.…”

Cortical gray and white matter volume in unmedicated schizotypal and schizophrenia patients

“…Studies with schizophrenia patients and their relatives also suggest reduced medial temporal volume including the amygdala and/or hippocampal complex, but these findings have not been consistently observed in SPD (Dickey et al 2002a;Dickey et al 1999;Seidman et al 2002;Seidman et al 2003). One recent study reported reduced hippocampal volume in SPD (Dickey et al 2007). Taken together, these findings are consistent with a model of common temporal lobe abnormalities across the schizophrenia spectrum.…”