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Hippocampal volume reduction in schizophrenia: effects of genetic risk and pregnancy and birth complications
Hippocampal volume reduction in schizophrenia: effects of genetic risk and pregnancy and birth complications
- Source :
- Biological Psychiatry. 46:697-702
- Publication Year :
- 1999
- Publisher :
- Elsevier BV, 1999.
-
Abstract
- Background: Hippocampal volume reduction has been repeatedly demonstrated in schizophrenia. The relative contribution of genetic and environmental factors to this is unclear. Methods: To address this question, we compared volumetric measurements of the left and right hippocampus, obtained using stereological methods from brain MRI scans, from two groups of patients with schizophrenia as well as healthy controls ( n = 26). Patients ( n = 27) in the first group, had no family history of schizophrenia and had experienced severe pregnancy and birth complications (PBCs). The second group comprised of patients ( n = 21) without a history of severe PBCs from families multiply affected with schizophrenia. Results: Reduction of the left hippocampal volume was associated with the diagnosis of schizophrenia but was present only in patients with a history of severe PBCs; in this group the smaller the hippocampal volume, the earlier the onset of psychosis. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that environmental factors, in this case severe PBCs, make a significant contribution to hippocampal abnormalities in schizophrenia.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Male
medicine.medical_specialty
Pediatrics
Psychosis
Hippocampus
Environment
Hippocampal formation
Severity of Illness Index
Pregnancy
Risk Factors
mental disorders
medicine
Humans
Family history
Psychiatry
Biological Psychiatry
medicine.disease
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Obstetric Labor Complications
Pregnancy Complications
Schizophrenia
Etiology
Female
Psychology
Diagnosis of schizophrenia
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 00063223
- Volume :
- 46
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Biological Psychiatry
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....ae0d0638e3c383aaf4d875d7e894a764
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/s0006-3223(99)00089-x