Zhou Shi-Yu, Suzuki Michio, Hagino Hirofumi, Takahashi Tsutomu, Kawasaki Yasuhiro, Matsui Mie, Seto Hikaru, Kurachi Masayoshi
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
Psychiatry Res. 2005 Jul 30;139(2):127-39. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2005.05.005.
Methodological limitations in most previous magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based volumetric studies might have contributed to the inconsistent results regarding the frontal lobe regions of schizophrenia. Thus, applying the largest sample to date among those that have fully taken account of the intrinsic anatomical landmarks, this study aimed at clarifying the volumetric alterations of the frontal lobe and its subregions in schizophrenia. Participants comprised 59 patients with schizophrenia and 58 healthy controls. Measurements were performed on consecutive 1-mm-thick coronal slices reformatted from three-dimensional 1.5-T MR images. The whole frontal lobe was demarcated and then subdivided into the precentral gyrus (PCG), anterior cingulate, and posterior cingulate, and the remainder temporarily as the prefrontal region. Patients with schizophrenia had significant cortical volume reductions in the bilateral whole frontal lobe, prefrontal region, PCG, posterior cingulate, and right anterior cingulate. This study has confirmed that patients with schizophrenia do have cortical volume reductions in the whole frontal lobe and its subregions. Volume reduction in the PCG suggests that the primary motor cortex might contribute to the mechanisms of schizophrenia, considering its important role in the processing of multiple motor-related cognitive functioning suggested by the recent literature.
以往大多数基于磁共振成像（MRI）的体积研究中的方法学局限性，可能导致了关于精神分裂症额叶区域的研究结果不一致。因此，本研究在充分考虑内在解剖标志的研究中采用了迄今为止最大的样本量，旨在阐明精神分裂症患者额叶及其亚区域的体积变化。研究对象包括59例精神分裂症患者和58名健康对照者。测量是在从三维1.5-T MR图像重新格式化的连续1毫米厚的冠状切片上进行的。整个额叶被划定，然后细分为中央前回（PCG）、前扣带回和后扣带回，其余部分暂时作为前额叶区域。精神分裂症患者双侧整个额叶、前额叶区域、中央前回、后扣带回和右侧前扣带回的皮质体积显著减少。本研究证实，精神分裂症患者在整个额叶及其亚区域确实存在皮质体积减少。中央前回的体积减少表明，考虑到近期文献提出的初级运动皮层在多种运动相关认知功能处理中的重要作用，初级运动皮层可能参与了精神分裂症的发病机制。
