Shape of the Caudate Nucleus and its Cognitive Correlates in Neuroleptic-Naive Schizotypal Personality Disorder

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Abstract

Methods: Magnetic resonance imaging scans were used to measure the shape of the caudate nucleus in 15 right-handed male subjects with SPD, who had no prior neuroleptic exposure, and in 14 matched normal comparison subjects. With MRI processing tools, we measured the head of the caudate nucleus using a shape index, which measured how much a given shape deviates from a sphere.

Results: In relation to comparison subjects, neuroleptic never-medicated SPD subjects had significantly higher (more "edgy") head of the caudate shape index scores, lateralized to the right side. Additionally, for SPD subjects, higher right and left head of the caudate SI scores correlated significantly with poorer neuropsychological performance on tasks of visuospatial memory and auditory/verbal working memory, respectively. Conclusions: These data confirm the value of measuring shape, as well as volume, of brain regions of interest and support the association of intrinsic pathology in the caudate nucleus, unrelated to neuroleptic medication, with cognitive abnormalities in the schizophrenia spectrum.

A Three-dimensional rendering of left and right head of the caudate nucleus (shaded blue) and left and right posterior caudate nucleus (shaded red) superimposed on magnetic resonance imaging coronal and axial slices in a normal subject. Adapted from Levitt et al (2002).

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Bibtex entry

@Article{levittBiolPsych04,
  author         = {J. J. Levitt and C.-F. Westin and P. G. Nestor and R {San  
                   Jose  Estepar} and C. C. Dickey and M. M. Voglmaier and L.  
                   J. Seidman  and R. Kikinis and F. A. Jolesz and R. W.       
                   McCarley and  M. E. Shenton},                               
  title          = {Shape of the Caudate Nucleus and its Cognitive Correlates  
                   in  Neuroleptic-Naive Schizotypal Personality Disorder},    
  journal        = {Biological Psychiatry},                                    
  year           = {2004},                                                     
  volume         = {55},                                                       
  pages          = {177--184}
}                                                 

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