MRI in schizophrenia: basal ganglia and white matter T₁ times

Abstract

SYNOPSISThe T1 relaxation time of the basal ganglia (putamen, globus pallidus and head of caudate) and of the frontoparietal centrum semiovale was compared between 49 schizophrenic patients and 36 healthy controls. Previous reports of increased T1 time in the basal ganglia were not confirmed, and group differences were not detected within the white matter. Within patients T1 values could not be related to tardive dyskinesia or other clinical features. Normal variation seen in basal ganglia T1 times is described for the first time: lowest values occur in the globus pallidus and highest in the caudate, and values within the putamen increase rostrally.

Schizophrenia, temporal lobe epilepsy and psychosis: an in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging study of the hippocampus/amygdala complex

“…The short echo time and long TR of our sequences ensured that T " and T # variations of up to 20 % would only result in a 2 % change in our metabolite concentrations. The T " and T # variations reported in schizophrenia (Harvey et al 1991 ;Pfefferbaum et al 1999) are 5 % and therefore , temporal lobe epilepsy and no psychosis ; , temporal lobe epilepsy and psychosis) is compared with normal controls.…”

T 1 : The Longitudinal Relaxation Time

“…Despite the characterization of the normal anatomical variation in T 1 values throughout the brain, no consistent differences between patients or controls have been found. Neither has any relationship between symptom severity or the occurrence of tardive dyskinesia with T 1 been demonstrated (Harvey et al, 1991).…”

Gray Matter Abnormalities in Schizophrenia Patients with Tardive Dyskinesia: A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Voxel-Based Morphometry Study

“…Buckley P et al found schizophrenia patients showed more prolonged T2 relaxation times in the right putamen and globus pallidus than did control subjects, but no significant difference in T2 values was found between patients with and without TD [14]. Harvey et al also didn’t find significant differences in the T1 relaxation time of the basal ganglia between schizophrenia patients with and without TD [15]. Thus, the previous results of neuroimaging studies investigating basal ganglia for TD were still controversial, and the pathophysiologic mechanism of TD may involve other brain areas.…”