Left posterior hippocampal density reduction using VBM and stereological MRI procedures in schizophrenia

Rametti, Giuseppina; Segarra, Nuria; Junqué, Carme; Bargalló, Nuria; Caldú, Xavier; Ibarretxe, Naroa; Bernardo, Miguel

doi:10.1016/j.schres.2007.04.034

« Previous Next »Schizophrenia Research
Volume 96, Issue 1 , Pages 62-71, November 2007

Left posterior hippocampal density reduction using VBM and stereological MRI procedures in schizophrenia

Giuseppina Rametti
- Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
Nuria Segarra
- Clinical Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clinic i Provincial, Barcelona, Spain
Carme Junqué
- Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Corresponding author. Postal address: Departament de Psiquiatria i Psicobiología Clínica, Universitat de Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Casanova 143, 08036 Barcelona, Spain. Tel.: +34 934035293; fax: +34 934035294.
Nuria Bargalló
- Institute of Biomedical Research August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Neuroradiology Section, Radiology Department, Centre de Diagnòstic per la Imatge (CDI), Hospital Clinic i Provincial, Barcelona, Spain
Xavier Caldú
- Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
Naroa Ibarretxe
- Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
Miguel Bernardo
- Clinical Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clinic i Provincial, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain

Received 29 January 2007; received in revised form 27 April 2007; accepted 29 April 2007. published online 09 July 2007.

Abstract

Structural deficits in the hippocampus have been implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. However the role played by structural impairments in the hippocampus in the memory deficits of schizophrenic patients remains unclear. Magnetic resonance imaging was used in this study to investigate left, right, anterior and posterior hippocampal volume and density in 28 schizophrenic patients and 33 normal controls. Voxel-based morphometry analysis showed that schizophrenics had significantly lower density in the right and posterior hippocampus than controls. MRI stereological analysis revealed significant differences in left posterior hippocampus than controls. MRI stereological analysis revealed significant differences in anterior and posterior on both sides, with the left posterior region predominating. Schizophrenics showed significant impairments in verbal learning and long term retention (P<0.001). The correlation analyses between hippocampal density and memory variables yielded a significant correlation between forgetting and density of the anterior hippocampus. These findings support the hypothesis of a regional atrophy within the hippocampus in schizophrenic patients.