The superior temporal gyrus in schizophrenia. A morphometric post-mortem study

Neuropathology of Schizophrenia: Cortex, Thalamus, Basal Ganglia, and Neurotransmitter-specific Projection Systems

“…Conclusion: Left superior temporal gyms abnormalities have been described in schizophrenia patients (Falkai et al 1995), especially in those with auditory hallucinations (Southard 1914(Southard , 1915. The lack of such changes in schizophrenia cases without auditory hallucinations would establish a stronger clinicopathological correlation.…”

“…The current interest in cytoarchitectural abnormalities is mainly driven by the neurodevelopmental theory: If schizophrenia is not characterized by massive cell loss and significant gliosis in the adult brain (as suggested by most of the studies), the "schizophrenia lesion" might be acquired early in development, could be more subtle, and could involve qualitative alterations of cell shape, cell position, connectivity, and the normally asymmetric development of gyri and fissures in both hemispheres. Most of the cytoarchitectural findings are reported for the limbic and paralimbic structures of the temporal lobe (see Dwork 1997, this issue), but abnormalities of the superior temporal gyrus (Southard 1915;Barta et al 1990;Shenton et al 1992;Falkai et al 1995) and displacement of NADPH-d-positive cortical neurons to the underlying white matter (Akbarian et al 1993a, 19936) are two important findings in the isocortex of schizophrenia patients that need to be replicated. The challenge of this approach is the question "What is normal?…”

“…In right-handed individuals, the surface area of the left planum temporale is usually much larger than that of the right. Falkai et al (1995) reported disturbed planum temporale asymmetry in a sample of 24 schizophrenia patients and 24 control subjects matched by sex and age. The asymmetry coefficients for the planum temporale cortex volume and anterior-posterior diameter were significantly different between schizophrenia patients and controls.…”

“…It is therefore important to refer to two recent in vivo imaging studies (Barta et al 1990; Shenton et al 1992), which reported a significant association between auditory hallucinations or thought-disorder index and superior temporal gyrus volume in schizophrenia patients. However, preliminary data from a recent postmortem study of 19 such patients and 21 control subjects do not indicate a significant difference in the volume of the left or right superior temporal gyrus in schizophrenia subjects (Hobson et al 1995). Considering Southard’s findings, it will be important to subdivide this sample into schizophrenia patients with and without auditory hallucinations.…”