This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Reply to article  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on ISI (146)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Topic Collections  • Schizophrenia  • Alert me on articles by topic

Raquel E. Gur, MD, PhD; Bruce I. Turetsky, MD; Patricia E. Cowell, PhD; Cindy Finkelman, BA; Veda Maany, BA; Robert I. Grossman, MD; Steven E. Arnold, MD; Warren B. Bilker, PhD; Ruben C. Gur, PhD

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2000;57:769-775.

Background  Neuroanatomic studies of schizophrenia have reported temporolimbic abnormalities. Most magnetic resonance imaging studies have evaluated small samples of primarily men with chronic schizophrenia. Our goal was to evaluate sex differences in segmented temporal lobe subregions with reliable parcellation methods, relating volume with clinical and neurocognitive parameters.

Methods  Magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 100 patients with schizophrenia (58 men, 42 women; 39 neuroleptic naive, 61 previously treated) and 110 healthy controls (51 men, 59 women). Gray and white matter volumes of temporolimbic (hippocampus and amygdala) and neocortical regions (superior temporal gyrus and temporal pole) were examined. Symptoms, functioning, and neurocognition were assessed concurrently.

Results  Hippocampal gray matter volume was reduced in men (7%) and women (8.5%) with schizophrenia. In the amygdala, however, decreased volume was evident for men (8%) whereas women (10.5%) had increased volume. Magnetic resonance imaging of the temporal pole showed decreased gray matter in men (10%) and women (8.5%). For the superior temporal gyrus, the decrease exceeded that of whole-brain only in men (11.5%). Volumes were largely uncorrelated with clinical measures, but higher hippocampal volumes were associated with better memory performance for all groups. Cortical volumes were associated with better memory performance in healthy women.

Conclusions  Schizophrenia is associated with reduced gray matter volume in temporolimbic structures. In men, reduction was manifested in all regions, whereas women showed decreased hippocampal volumes but increased amygdala volumes. The abnormalities are evident in patients with first-episode schizophrenia and correlate more strongly with cognitive performance than with symptom severity.

From the Schizophrenia Research Center, Neuropsychiatry Section, Departments of Psychiatry (Drs R. E. Gur, Turetsky, Cowell, Arnold, R. C. Gur, and Ms Finkelman and Mr Maany), Radiology (Dr Grossman), and Biostatistics and Epidemiology (Dr Bilker), University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia.

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Sex-Dependent Hippocampal Volume Reductions in Schizophrenia Relate to Episodic Memory Deficits
Exner et al.
J. Neuropsychiatry Clin. Neurosi. 2008;20:227-230.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Chronic Auditory Hallucinations in Schizophrenic Patients: MR Analysis of the Coincidence between Functional and Morphologic Abnormalities
Marti-Bonmati et al.
Radiology 2007;244:549-556.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Enigmatic temporal pole: a review of findings on social and emotional processing
Olson et al.
Brain 2007;130:1718-1731.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Abnormalities of Thalamic Activation and Cognition in Schizophrenia
Andrews et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2006;163:463-469.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Regional Deficits in Brain Volume in Schizophrenia: A Meta-Analysis of Voxel-Based Morphometry Studies
Honea et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2005;162:2233-2245.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Whole-Brain Morphometric Study of Schizophrenia Revealing a Spatially Complex Set of Focal Abnormalities
Davatzikos et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 2005;62:1218-1227.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Reduced Parahippocampal Connectivity Produces Schizophrenia-like Memory Deficits in Simulated Neural Circuits With Reduced Parahippocampal Connectivity
Talamini et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 2005;62:485-493.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Sex Differences in Functional Connectivity in First-Episode and Chronic Schizophrenia Patients
Slewa-Younan et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2004;161:1595-1602.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia Disorders: Perspectives From the Spectrum
Siever and Davis
Am. J. Psychiatry 2004;161:398-413.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Dysregulation of Arousal and Amygdala-Prefrontal Systems in Paranoid Schizophrenia
Williams et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2004;161:480-489.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Abnormal Glucose Metabolism in the Mediodorsal Nucleus of the Thalamus in Schizophrenia
Hazlett et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2004;161:305-314.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

MRI Assessment of Gray and White Matter Distribution in Brodmann's Areas of the Cortex in Patients With Schizophrenia With Good and Poor Outcomes
Mitelman et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2003;160:2154-2168.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Increases in Regional Subarachnoid CSF Without Apparent Cortical Gray Matter Deficits in Schizophrenia: Modulating Effects of Sex and Age
Narr et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2003;160:2169-2180.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Smaller Anterior Hippocampal Formation Volume in Antipsychotic-Naive Patients With First-Episode Schizophrenia
Szeszko et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2003;160:2190-2197.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

An MRI Study of Superior Temporal Gyrus Volume in Women With Schizotypal Personality Disorder
Dickey et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2003;160:2198-2201.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Decrements in Volume of Anterior Ventromedial Temporal Lobe and Olfactory Dysfunction in Schizophrenia
Turetsky et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 2003;60:1193-1200.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Differences and Similarities in Insular and Temporal Pole MRI Gray Matter Volume Abnormalities in First-Episode Schizophrenia and Affective Psychosis
Kasai et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 2003;60:1069-1077.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Facial Emotion Recognition in Schizophrenia: Intensity Effects and Error Pattern
Kohler et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2003;160:1768-1774.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Impairment of Odor Hedonics in Men With Schizophrenia
Moberg et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2003;160:1784-1789.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Gray and White Matter Brain Abnormalities in First-Episode Schizophrenia Inferred From Magnetization Transfer Imaging
Bagary et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 2003;60:779-788.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Reduced Hippocampal Activation During Encoding and Recognition of Words in Schizophrenia Patients
Jessen et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2003;160:1305-1312.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Progressive Decrease of Left Superior Temporal Gyrus Gray Matter Volume in Patients With First-Episode Schizophrenia
Kasai et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2003;160:156-164.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Hippocampal Deformities in Schizophrenia Characterized by High Dimensional Brain Mapping
Csernansky et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2002;159:2000-2006.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

A Computational Morphometric MRI Study of Schizophrenia: Effects of Hallucinations
Shapleske et al.
Cereb Cortex 2002;12:1331-1341.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Sex Differences in Temporo-limbic and Frontal Brain Volumes of Healthy Adults
Gur et al.
Cereb Cortex 2002;12:998-1003.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Brain morphology in antipsychotic-naive schizophrenia: a study of multiple brain structures
CAHN et al.
Br. J. Psychiatry 2002;181 :s66-s72.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Temporal Lobe Abnormalities in First-Episode Psychosis
Sumich et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2002;159:1232-1235.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Gene Expression Profile for Schizophrenia: Discrete Neuron Transcription Patterns in the Entorhinal Cortex
Hemby et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 2002;59:631-640.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Uncinate Fasciculus Findings in Schizophrenia: A Magnetic Resonance Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study
Kubicki et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2002;159:813-820.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Evidence for non-progressive changes in adolescent-onset schizophrenia: Follow-up magnetic resonance imaging study
JAMES et al.
Br. J. Psychiatry 2002;180:339-344.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Temporal Lobe Morphology in Normal Aging and Traumatic Brain Injury
Bigler et al.
Am. J. Neuroradiol. 2002;23:255-266.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Impact of Normal Sexual Dimorphisms on Sex Differences in Structural Brain Abnormalities in Schizophrenia Assessed by Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Goldstein et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 2002;59:154-164.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Amygdala pathology in psychosis of epilepsy: A magnetic resonance imaging study in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy
Tebartz van Elst et al.
Brain 2002;125:140-149.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Longitudinal MRI Study of Hippocampal Volume in Trauma Survivors With PTSD
Bonne et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2001;158:1248-1251.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Superior Temporal Gyrus Abnormalities in Early-Onset Schizophrenia: Similarities and Differences With Adult-Onset Schizophrenia
Matsumoto et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2001;158:1299-1304.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT