Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, 1990, Vol 53, 416-421

PAPERS

Morphometry of the corpus callosum in monozygotic twins discordant for schizophrenia: a magnetic resonance imaging study

MF Casanova, RD Sanders, TE Goldberg, LB Bigelow, G Christison, EF Torrey and DR Weinberger
Clinical Brain Disorders Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Washington, DC 20032.

The corpus callosum (CC) has been the focus of several morphometric studies of patients with schizophrenia, but the results of these studies have been contradictory. In an attempt to improve the reliability of morphometric measurements of the corpus callosum, a computerised image analysis system was used to measure the shape, area, thickness and length of the CC on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 12 pairs of monozygotic twins discordant for schizophrenia (SC). No differences in CC area (anterior, middle, posterior thirds and total), length or vertical thickness of the CC body (at three levels) were demonstrated by t test comparisons of the affected SC and unaffected twins. Statistical analysis of a Fourier expansion series suggested differences in shape between normal and SC cotwins in the second harmonic of the anterior and middle segments and effects of gender on posterior CC shape. These results fail to replicate previous findings of altered length, thickness and area in the schizophrenic CC, but implicate disease-related shape differences in the anterior and middle segment of the corpus callosum and gender-related differences in splenium shape. The disease-related shape distortion suggest ventriculomegaly rather than an intrinsic abnormality of the corpus callosum.

© 1990 by Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry

This article has been cited by other articles:

				K. Aydin, A. Ucok, and S. Cakir Quantitative Proton MR Spectroscopy Findings in the Corpus Callosum of Patients with Schizophrenia Suggest Callosal Disconnection AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., November 1, 2007; 28(10): 1968 - 1974. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. J. P. Kruesi and M. F. Casanova White matter in liars The British Journal of Psychiatry, March 1, 2006; 188(3): 293 - 294. [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. L. Narr, T. D. Cannon, R. P. Woods, P. M. Thompson, S. Kim, D. Asunction, T. G. M. van Erp, V.-P. Poutanen, M. Huttunen, J. Lonnqvist, et al. Genetic Contributions to Altered Callosal Morphology in Schizophrenia J. Neurosci., May 1, 2002; 22(9): 3720 - 3729. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Mazziotta, A. Toga, A. Evans, P. Fox, J. Lancaster, K. Zilles, R. Woods, T. Paus, G. Simpson, B. Pike, et al. A Four-Dimensional Probabilistic Atlas of the Human Brain J. Am. Med. Inform. Assoc., September 1, 2001; 8(5): 401 - 430. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. L. Narr, P. M. Thompson, T. Sharma, J. Moussai, A. F. Cannestra, and A. W. Toga Mapping Morphology of the Corpus Callosum in Schizophrenia Cereb Cortex, January 1, 2000; 10(1): 40 - 49. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. R. Highley, M. M. Esiri, B. McDonald, M. Cortina-Borja, B. M. Herron, and T. J. Crow The size and fibre composition of the corpus callosum with respect to gender and schizophrenia: a post-mortem study Brain, January 1, 1999; 122(1): 99 - 110. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]