Brain, Vol. 122, No. 1, 99-110,
January 1999
© 1999 Oxford University Press
The size and fibre composition of the corpus callosum with respect to gender and schizophrenia: a post-mortem study
1 MRC/Prince of Wales International Centre Schizophrenia Research Group, Department of Neuropathology, Radcliffe Infirmary, 2 Department of Statistics, University of Oxford, 3 POWIC, University Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Headington, Oxford and 4 Regional Neuropathology Laboratory, Royal Hospitals Trust, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
Correspondence to:
MRC/POWIC Schizophrenia Research Group, Department of Neuropathology, Radcliffe Infirmary, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6HE, UK
E-mail: robin.highley{at}clinical-neurology.ox.ac.uk
In this study the cross-sectional area (in n = 14 female controls, 15 male controls, 11 female patients with schizophrenia, 15 male patients with schizophrenia) and fibre composition (in n = 11 female controls, 10 male controls, 10 female patients with schizophrenia, 10 male patients with schizophrenia) of the corpus callosum in post-mortem control and schizophrenic brains was examined. A gender x diagnosis interaction (P = 0.005) was seen in the density of axons in all regions of the corpus callosum except the posterior midbody and splenium. Amongst controls, females had greater density than males; in patients with schizophrenia this difference was reversed. A reduction in the total number of fibres in all regions of the corpus callosum except the rostrum was observed in female schizophrenic patients (P = 0.006; when controlling for brain weight, P = 0.053). A trend towards a reduced cross-sectional area of the corpus callosum was seen in schizophrenia (P = 0.098); however, this is likely to be no more than a reflection of an overall reduction in brain size. With age, all subregions of the corpus callosum except the rostrum showed a significant reduction in cross-sectional area (P = 0.018) and total fibre number (P = 0.002). These findings suggest that in schizophrenia there is a subtle and gender-dependent alteration in the forebrain commissures that may relate to the deviations in asymmetry seen in other studies, but the precise anatomical explanation remains obscure.
corpus callosum; fibre; axon; gender; schizophrenia
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  S. A. Chance, M. F. Casanova, A. E. Switala, and T. J. Crow Auditory cortex asymmetry, altered minicolumn spacing and absence of ageing effects in schizophrenia Brain, December 1, 2008; 131(12): 3178 - 3192. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C. Ryberg, E. Rostrup, K. Sjostrand, O.B. Paulson, F. Barkhof, P. Scheltens, E.C.W. van Straaten, F. Fazekas, R. Schmidt, T. Erkinjuntti, et al. White Matter Changes Contribute to Corpus Callosum Atrophy in the Elderly: The LADIS Study AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., September 1, 2008; 29(8): 1498 - 1504. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Konrad and G. Winterer Disturbed Structural Connectivity in Schizophrenia Primary Factor in Pathology or Epiphenomenon? Schizophr Bull, January 1, 2008; 34(1): 72 - 92. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. Aydin, A. Ucok, and S. Cakir Quantitative Proton MR Spectroscopy Findings in the Corpus Callosum of Patients with Schizophrenia Suggest Callosal Disconnection AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., November 1, 2007; 28(10): 1968 - 1974. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
N. Bulakbasi, M. Kocaoglu, C. Tayfun, and T. Ucoz Transient splenial lesion of the corpus callosum in clinically mild influenza-associated encephalitis/encephalopathy. AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., October 1, 2006; 27(9): 1983 - 1986. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C. P. Gilmore, G. C. DeLuca, L. Bo, T. Owens, J. Lowe, M. M. Esiri, and N. Evangelou Spinal Cord Atrophy in Multiple Sclerosis Caused by White Matter Volume Loss Arch Neurol, December 1, 2005; 62(12): 1859 - 1862. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. R. Highley, M. A. Walker, M. M. Esiri, T. J. Crow, and P. J. Harrison Asymmetry of the Uncinate Fasciculus: A Post-mortem Study of Normal Subjects and Patients with Schizophrenia Cereb Cortex, November 1, 2002; 12(11): 1218 - 1224. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. A. Walker, J. R. Highley, M. M. Esiri, B. McDonald, H. C. Roberts, S. P. Evans, and T. J. Crow Estimated Neuronal Populations and Volumes of the Hippocampus and Its Subfields in Schizophrenia Am J Psychiatry, May 1, 2002; 159(5): 821 - 828. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 K. L. Narr, T. D. Cannon, R. P. Woods, P. M. Thompson, S. Kim, D. Asunction, T. G. M. van Erp, V.-P. Poutanen, M. Huttunen, J. Lonnqvist, et al. Genetic Contributions to Altered Callosal Morphology in Schizophrenia J. Neurosci., May 1, 2002; 22(9): 3720 - 3729. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T Polster, M Hoppe, and A Ebner Transient lesion in the splenium of the corpus callosum: three further cases in epileptic patients and a pathophysiological hypothesis J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, April 1, 2001; 70(4): 459 - 463. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. R. HIGHLEY, M. A. WALKER, M. M. ESIRI, B. McDONALD, P. J. HARRISON, and T. J. CROW Schizophrenia and the frontal lobes: Post-mortem stereological study of tissue volume The British Journal of Psychiatry, April 1, 2001; 178(4): 337 - 343. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J Foong, M Maier, C A Clark, G J Barker, D H Miller, and M A Ron Neuropathological abnormalities of the corpus callosum in schizophrenia: a diffusion tensor imaging study J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, February 1, 2000; 68(2): 242 - 244. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. McDonald, J. R. Highley, M. A. Walker, B. M. Herron, S. J. Cooper, M. M. Esiri, and T. J. Crow Anomalous Asymmetry of Fusiform and Parahippocampal Gyrus Gray Matter in Schizophrenia: A Postmortem Study Am J Psychiatry, January 1, 2000; 157(1): 40 - 47. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. L. Narr, P. M. Thompson, T. Sharma, J. Moussai, A. F. Cannestra, and A. W. Toga Mapping Morphology of the Corpus Callosum in Schizophrenia Cereb Cortex, January 1, 2000; 10(1): 40 - 49. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. A. Chance, J. R. Highley, M. M. Esiri, and T. J. Crow Fiber Content of the Fornix in Schizophrenia: Lack of Evidence for a Primary Limbic Encephalopathy Am J Psychiatry, November 1, 1999; 156(11): 1720 - 1724. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. J. Harrison The neuropathology of schizophrenia: A critical review of the data and their interpretation Brain, April 1, 1999; 122(4): 593 - 624. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|