Meta-analysis of brain and cranial size in schizophrenia

doi:10.1016/S0920-9964(96)00076-X

Schizophrenia Research

Volume 22, Issue 3, 15 December 1996, Pages 197-213

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0920-9964(96)00076-X Get rights and content

Abstract

Several meta-analyses are presented that address the issue of brain and/or cranial size reductions in schizophrenia. Separate meta-analyses were conducted for brain size (n = 27 studies), intracranial size (n = 18) or extracranial size (n = 8). For each meta-analysis, the weighted composite effect size (d) was tested for statistical significance (the direction of the effect size was negative if patients with schizophrenia had smaller structure size than controls). The influence of several potential modifiers of effect size (age, methods, region, gender) was individually evaluated. The composite effect sizes for studies of brain, intracranial and extracranial measures were d= −0.26, (p < 0.0001) d = -0.18, (p=0.0012), and d = +0.14, (p = 0.16), respectively. Thus, the review found evidence for a small, but statistically significant reduction in brain and intracranial size in schizophrenia, but no evidence for a reduction in extracranial size. Studies based on axial image slices had significantly larger effects (d = −0.60) than the studies based on sagittal images (d = -0.09)(χ² = 14.0, p = 0.0002). In summary, the findings clearly support a small yet highly significant reduction of brain and intracranial size in schizophrenia.

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Research paperMeta-analysis of brain and cranial size in schizophrenia

Abstract

Schizophr. Res.

Biol. Psychiatry

Brain Res. Dev. Brain Res.

Psychiatry Res.

Biol. Psychiatry

J. Neurol. Sci.

Schizophr. Res.

Schizophr. Res.

Psychiatry Res.

Schizophr. Res.

Psychol. Bull.

Biol. Psychiatry

Psychiatry Res.

Clin. Imaging

Schizophr. Res.

Psychiatry Res.

Schizophr. Res.

Psychiatry Res.

Thickening of the skull in surgically treated hydrocephalus

Am. J. Radiol.

Structural abnormalities in the frontal system in schizophrenia

Arch. Gen. Psychiatry

Hat size in schizophrenia-reply

Arch. Gen. Psychiatry

Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain in schizophrenia: The pathophysiologic significance of structural abnormalities

Arch. Gen. Psychiatry

Thalamic abnormalities in schizophrenia visualized through magnetic resonance image averaging

Science

Regional brain abnormalities in schizophrenia measured with magnetic resonance image

J. Am. Med. Assoc.

Magnetic resonance imaging measurement of posterior fossa structures in schizophrenia

Am. J. Psychiatry

Auditory hallucinations and smaller superior temporal gyral volume in schizophrenia

Am. J. Psychiatry

Somatology of the schizophrenic patient

Hum. Biol.

Absence of regional hemispheric volume asymmetries in first-episode schizophrenia

Am. J. Psychiatry

Subclinical microcrania, subclinical macrocrania, and fifth-month fetal markers (of growth retardation or edema) in schizophrenia: A co-twin control study of discordant monozygotic twins

Neuropsychiatry Neuropsychol. Behav. Neurol.

Brain morphology and schizophrenia: A magnetic resonance imaging study of limbic, prefrontal cortex, and caudate structures

Arch. Gen. Psychiatry

Postmortem evidence of structural brain changes in schizophrenia: Differences in brain weight, temporal horn area, and parahippocampal gyrus compared with affective disorder

Arch. Gen. Psychiatry

Schizophrenia and the brain: A prospective clinico-neuropathological study

Psychol. Med.

Structural abnormalities in deficit and nondeficit schizophrenia

Am. J. Psychiatry

Microcephaly

Heritability of brain size and surface features in Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

J. Hered.

Schizophrenia as an anomaly of development of cerebral asymmetry

Arch. Gen. Psychiatry

Reduction in temporal lobe in siblings with schizophrenia: A magnetic resonance imaging study

Psychiatry Res.

Hat size in schizophrenia

Arch. Gen. Psychiatry

Reduced temporal lobe area: An MRI study of siblings with schizophrenia

Schizophr. Res.

Magnetic resonance brain images in schizophrenic and normal subjects: Influence of diagnosis and education

Schizophr. Bull.

Quantitative growth and development of human brain

Arch. Dis. Child.

Meta-analysis of studies of global structural abnormalities in affective disorders and schizophrenia

Arch. Gen. Psychiatry

The prenatal and postnatal growth of the human basicranium

Endocranial capacity of Western Australian Aboriginal crania: Comparisons and association with stature and latitude

Am. J. Phys. Anthropol.

The relationship of brain imaging parameters to anti-psychotic treatment response: A review

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Research paper
Meta-analysis of brain and cranial size in schizophrenia