An MRI study of septi pellucidi in relation to hippocampus volume and fornix integrity in schizophrenia

Davidson, Charlie A.; Kuroki, Noriomi; Alvarado, Jorge L.; Niznikiewicz, Margaret A.; McCarley, Robert W.; Levitt, James J.

doi:10.1016/j.schres.2011.11.012

« Previous Next »Schizophrenia Research
Volume 134, Issue 2 , Pages 165-170, February 2012

An MRI study of septi pellucidi in relation to hippocampus volume and fornix integrity in schizophrenia

Charlie A. Davidson
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 1249 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02215, United States
- Present address: 238 Burnett Hall, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588-0308, United States.
Noriomi Kuroki
- Clinical Neuroscience Division, Laboratory of Neuroscience, Boston VA HealthCare System-Brockton Division, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, 940 Belmont St., Psychiatry (116A), Brockton, MA 02301, United States
Jorge L. Alvarado
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 1249 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02215, United States
Margaret A. Niznikiewicz
- Clinical Neuroscience Division, Laboratory of Neuroscience, Boston VA HealthCare System-Brockton Division, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, 940 Belmont St., Psychiatry (116A), Brockton, MA 02301, United States
Robert W. McCarley
- Clinical Neuroscience Division, Laboratory of Neuroscience, Boston VA HealthCare System-Brockton Division, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, 940 Belmont St., Psychiatry (116A), Brockton, MA 02301, United States
James J. Levitt
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 1249 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02215, United States
- Clinical Neuroscience Division, Laboratory of Neuroscience, Boston VA HealthCare System-Brockton Division, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, 940 Belmont St., Psychiatry (116A), Brockton, MA 02301, United States
- Corresponding author at: Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 1249 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02215, United States. Tel.: +1 617 525 6105; fax: +1 617 525 6150.

Received 2 August 2011; received in revised form 9 November 2011; accepted 9 November 2011. published online 19 December 2011.

Abstract

Septum pellucidum (SP) and cavum SP (CSP) were delineated in two samples. The Longitudinal Study examined structural MR-images in first-episode schizophrenia (FESZ) and controls at two time-points. The Cross-Sectional Study examined structural and diffusion-tensor MR measures, including hippocampus and fornix, in chronic schizophrenia (SZ) at one time-point.

CSP and SP measurements remained stable over time in FESZ and controls. Compared to controls, CSP were smaller in FESZ, but not in chronic SZ. SP were larger in chronic SZ, but not in FESZ. In chronic SZ only, SP-Length was correlated negatively with fornix-FA and hippocampal volume, and positively with chlorpromazine-equivalent dosage.

Keywords: Cavum septi pellucidi, Septum pellucidum, Schizophrenia, Hippocampus, Fornix, MRI