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Brain Structural Abnormalities in Violent Offenders with Schizophrenia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 April 2020

U.K. Haukvik
Affiliation:
Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
A. Jensen
Affiliation:
Department of psychiatry, Østfold Hospital, Fredrikstad, Norway
G. Storvestre
Affiliation:
Department of psychiatry, Østfold Hospital, Fredrikstad, Norway
L.T. Westlye
Affiliation:
NORMENT K.G. Jebsen centre for psychosis research, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
I. Melle
Affiliation:
NORMENT K.G. Jebsen centre for psychosis research, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
I. Agartz
Affiliation:
NORMENT K.G. Jebsen centre for psychosis research, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
O.A. Andreassen
Affiliation:
NORMENT K.G. Jebsen centre for psychosis research, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
M. Jacobsen
Affiliation:
Department of psychiatry, Østfold Hospital, Fredrikstad, Norway

Abstract

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Introduction

Schizophrenia patients with a history of community violence constitute a sub-group of schizophrenia patients (SCZ) that receive much public attention. While brain structural abnormalities are established in SCZ, there are few studies of brain morphology in violent SCZ.

Objectives

To conduct a pilot study of brain morphology in a SCZ cohort with a history of severe community violence from a high security forensic psychiatric unit.

Aims

Investigate differences in hippocampal, ventricular, thalamic, and amygdala volumes in violent SCZ, SCZ, and healthy controls (HC).

Methods

Structural 3T MRI scans were acquired of 47 subjects (violent SCZ n=11, mean age 33.2 years (SD 9.0), 91% male; SCZ n= 17, 34.3 years (7.4), 94% male; HC n=19, 33.2 years (9.1), 90% male). Violent offence included murder, attempted murder, or severe assault (with or without weapon) towards other people. The FreeSurfer 5.3.0 software was used to obtain subcortical brain volumes. Effects of age, sex, and intracranial volume were controlled for, and Bonferroni correction was applied.

Results

Violent SCZ had smaller right hippocampal volumes (F(2,42)=4.11, p= .024) compared to HC (padj= .028) and SCZ (pnom= .046). On a trend level, violent SCZ had larger right lateral ventricles than HC (pnom =.032) and SCZ (pnom=.049), and smaller left hippocampus than HC (pnom =.027). No differences in thalamus and amygdala volumes were found.

Conclusions

Violent SCZ may be associated with more pronounced brain abnormalities than non-violent SCZ. Future studies are needed to verify the observed abnormalities and determine the pathophysiological mechanisms and functional consequences.

Type
Article: 0921
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 2015
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