Hippocampal Volume Assessment in Schizophrenia – Experience from the Department of Psychiatry in Brno

Overview

Hippocampal reduction as assessed with MRI volumetry is present in schizophrenia. The reduction is a recognized endophenotype; it is a trait marker, a feature present also in healthy relatives of schizophrenia patients, and it is under genetic and environmental influence. The clinical relationships are not clear, as well as its relations to cognitive functions in schizophrenia. The reason for such inconsistencies may lay in the methodology of volumetry, in differences in study populations, statistical power, clinical and cognitive parameters used. We present the results of our studies of hippocampal volume and memory dysfunction in the first episode schizophrenia men. Although the sensitivity and validity of the methodology increased, there were found no significant relations between memory and hippocampal volume. Similar results were published in the literature and might reflect specific features of the first episode schizophrenia and the volumetry methodology.

Key words:
volumetry, memory, hippocampus, schizophrenia.