Low CSF 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in schizophrenic patients with enlarged cerebral ventricles.

The authors assayed CSF 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) concentrations in 24 chronic schizophrenic patients, 9 of whom had enlarged cerebral ventricles according to computerized tomography scans, and in 15 control subjects with neurological disorders. Although there were no overall differences between the schizophrenic patients and the control subjects, schizophrenic patients with enlarged ventricles had significantly lower 5-HIAA concentrations. Also, ventricular size correlated inversely with 5-HIAA concentrations. The findings are consistent with other evidence that cerebral ventricular size is biologically meaningful in schizophrenic patients.