Globus pallidus volume is related to symptom severity in neuroleptic naive patients with schizophrenia

Received 2 October 2003; received in revised form 25 April 2004; accepted 6 May 2004.

Abstract

This study compares globus pallidus (GP) volume between neuroleptic naïve patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls using structural MRI. The volume of the external segment of the GP (GPe) was positively correlated with the severity of global symptoms, as measured by the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms and Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SANS/SAPS, Andreasen and Olsen, 1982). The volume for the GP, GPe, and internal segment (GPi) did not differ between groups.

Keywords: MRI, Globus pallidus, Subcortical structures, Neuroleptic naïve, Symptom severity

a Schizophrenia Research Center, University of Iowa, United States

b Department of Psychiatry, Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, United States

c Department of Psychiatry, Dartmouth College, United States

d Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland, United States

e Department of Radiology, Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, United States

f MIND Institute and Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States

Corresponding author. University of Iowa, Psychiatry Research, 2-126E MEB, Iowa City IA 52242, United States.

PII: S0920-9964(04)00181-1

doi:10.1016/j.schres.2004.05.020

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