The British Journal of Psychiatry (2010) 196: 150-157. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.109.067314
© 2010 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Online supplement
Right arrow Submit an eLetter
Right arrow View responses
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Related articles in BJP
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Harms, M. P.
Right arrow Articles by Csernansky, J. G.
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Harms, M. P.
Right arrow Articles by Csernansky, J. G.

Structural abnormalities in gyri of the prefrontal cortex in individuals with schizophrenia and their unaffected siblings

Michael P. Harms, PhD

Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis

Lei Wang, PhD

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago

Carolina Campanella, BS

Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis

Kristina Aldridge, PhD and Amanda J. Moffitt, BA

Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia

John Kuelper, BA

Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis

J. Tilak Ratnanather, PhD and Michael I. Miller, PhD

Center for Imaging Science, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore

Deanna M. Barch, PhD

Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine and Department of Psychology, Washington University, St Louis

John G. Csernansky, MD

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, USA

Correspondence: Correspondence: Michael P. Harms, PhD, Department of Psychiatry (Box 8134), Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St Louis, MO 63110, USA. Email: mharms{at}conte.wustl.edu

Declaration of interest

None.

Background

The relatives of individuals with schizophrenia exhibit deficits of overall frontal lobe volume, consistent with a genetic contribution to these deficits.

Aims

To quantify the structure of gyral-defined subregions of prefrontal cortex in individuals with schizophrenia and their siblings.

Method

Grey matter volume, cortical thickness, and surface area of the superior, middle and inferior frontal gyri were measured in participants with schizophrenia and their unaffected (non-psychotic) siblings (n = 26 pairs), and controls and their siblings (n = 40 pairs).

Results

Grey matter volume was reduced in the middle and inferior frontal gyri of individuals with schizophrenia, relative to controls. However, only inferior frontal gyrus volume was also reduced in the unaffected siblings of those with schizophrenia, yielding a volume intermediate between their affected siblings and controls.

Conclusions

The structure of subregions of the prefrontal cortex may be differentially influenced by genetic factors in schizophrenia, with inferior frontal gyrus volume being most related to familial risk.


Related articles in BJP:

From the Editor’s desk
Peter Tyrer
BJP 2010 196: 168. [Full Text]  

Highlights of this issue
Kimberlie Dean
BJP 2010 196: A6. [Full Text]  



This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Br. J. PsychiatryHome page
L. Palaniyappan
Computing cortical surface measures in schizophrenia
The British Journal of Psychiatry, May 1, 2010; 196(5): 414 - 414.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Br. J. PsychiatryHome page
M. P. Harms, L. Wang, C. Campanella, K. Aldridge, A. J. Moffitt, J. Kuelper, J. T. Ratnanather, M. I. Miller, D. M. Barch, and J. G. Csernansky
Authors' reply:
The British Journal of Psychiatry, May 1, 2010; 196(5): 414 - 415.
[Full Text] [PDF]

eLetters:

Read all eLetters

Computing cortical surface measures in schizophrenia
Lena Palaniyappan
BJP Online, 11 Feb 2010 [Full text]
Author response to Dr. Palaniyappan
Michael P. Harms, et al.
BJP Online, 26 Feb 2010 [Full text]