Morphological Changes of the Temporal Lobe Structures in Schizophrenia and Their Link to the Clinical Symptoms Regarding the Gender Difference and Asymmetry

Abstract

Temporal lobe dysfunction leads to a model of the cognitive impairments in schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in grey and white matter volume, cortical area and cortical thickness of the temporal lobe in schizophrenic patients and to explore the functional significance of these changes through correlation with clinical symptoms of patients as measured with the positive and negative syndrome scale. 88 control subjects and 57 chronic schizophrenics were participated in the study. Structural magnetic resonance imaging was performed and the DICOM images were evaluated using automatic brain segmentation software (BrainSuite). The volume and volume fraction of the region of interest were evaluated. The mean volume of temporal lobe was smaller in the schizophrenics (154.20±16.49 cm3) than that of controls (174.85±17.70 cm3), (p≤0.05). Mean volumes of the temporal grey and temporal white matter in schizophrenics (110.41±12.25 cm3 and 43.81±4.96 cm3) were smaller than that of controls (124.14±13.15 cm3 and 50.71±6.29 cm3), (p≤0.05). The mean cortical area pial in schizophrenics (425.8±40.95 cm2) was smaller than that of control (462.30±44.42 cm2), (p≤0.05), while no differences found between schizophrenics and controls related to the thickness of the temporal lobe (p>0.05). The male patients tend to have positive correlation between the volumes and the positive symptoms. The present study suggests that patients with schizophrenia have a generalized temporal deficit. Surface area of the temporal lobe was smaller in the schizophrenics both for males and females. However, the cortex was proportionally thinner in the male schizophrenics. Positive correlations were observed between the volume and positive symptoms more in the male patients. Finally, there was no asymmetry in the volume of temporal lobe. © 2017 OMU.