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Disordered Water Homeostasis in Schizophrenia and Cerebral Ventricular Size

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Robin Emsley*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg, South Africa
Mimi Roberts
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg, South Africa
Roger Smith
Affiliation:
Department of Radiology, University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg, South Africa
Judora Spangenberg
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg, South Africa
Derek Chalton
Affiliation:
Medical Research Council Institute for Biostatistics, Tygerberg 7505, South Africa
*
Professor R. A. Emsley, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Stellenbosch, PO Box 19063, 7505 Tygerberg, South Africa

Abstract

Background

A possible association between disordered water homeostasis and cerebral ventricular size in patients with schizophrenia was investigated.

Method

In a cross-sectional study of hospitalised patients, cerebral ventricular size was measured in 16 schizophrenic patients with disordered water homeostasis and 16 matched schizophrenic controls by magnetic resonance imaging.

Results

Ventricle to brain ratio, third ventricular index, bicaudate index and bifrontal index tended to be greater in those with schizophrenia with disordered water homeostasis, although differences were significant only for the bifrontal index (P<0.05). Strong negative correlations were found between ventricular size and performance on neuropsychological testing in the disordered water homeostasis group.

Conclusion

These results provide evidence for an association between structural brain abnormality and disordered water homeostasis in a subset of schizophrenic patients.

Type
Papers
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1995 

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