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Schizophrenia and the brain: a prospective clinico-neuropathological study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

C. J. Bruton ,
T. J. Crow ,
C. D. Frith ,
E. C. Johnstone ,
D. G. C. Owens  and
G. W. Roberts
C. J. Bruton*
Affiliation:
Department of Neuropathology, Runwell Hospital, Wickford, Essex and Division of Psychiatry, Clinical Research Centre, Harrow, Middlesex
T. J. Crow
Affiliation:
Department of Neuropathology, Runwell Hospital, Wickford, Essex and Division of Psychiatry, Clinical Research Centre, Harrow, Middlesex
C. D. Frith
Affiliation:
Department of Neuropathology, Runwell Hospital, Wickford, Essex and Division of Psychiatry, Clinical Research Centre, Harrow, Middlesex
E. C. Johnstone
Affiliation:
Department of Neuropathology, Runwell Hospital, Wickford, Essex and Division of Psychiatry, Clinical Research Centre, Harrow, Middlesex
D. G. C. Owens
Affiliation:
Department of Neuropathology, Runwell Hospital, Wickford, Essex and Division of Psychiatry, Clinical Research Centre, Harrow, Middlesex
G. W. Roberts
Affiliation:
Department of Neuropathology, Runwell Hospital, Wickford, Essex and Division of Psychiatry, Clinical Research Centre, Harrow, Middlesex
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr C. J. Bruton, Department of Neuropathology, Runwell Hospital, Wickford, Essex SS11 7QE.
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Synopsis

The neuropathological results from a prospective, systematically assessed, series of 56 schizophrenic patients and 56 age- and sex-matched normal controls have been presented.

When compared with the normal controls, the brains of the schizophrenic subjects showed a significant reduction in brain weight and brain length with a concomitant increase in ventricular size. (All findings relate to measurements made after formalin fixation). In addition, the brains of the schizophrenic patients contained significantly more non-specific focal pathology and fibrillary gliosis than the controls.

After exclusion of cases with moderate and severe Alzheimer-type change, cerebro-vascular disease and all forms of focal pathology, the structural brain changes (i.e. decrease in brain weight and brain length) continued to distinguish the schizophrenia group from the controls. Furthermore, an analysis of the clinical data showed that the structural brain changes were correlated in the schizophrenic patients with a measurement of pre-morbid function.

The findings and their possible aetiological implications have been discussed.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 20 , Issue 2 , May 1990 , pp. 285 - 304
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

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