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The Ventricular System in Chronic Schizophrenic Patients

A Controlled Computed Tomography Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Anand K. Pandurangi ,
Mantosh J. Dewan ,
Seungho Howard Lee ,
Tarakad Ramachandran ,
Benjamin F. Levy ,
Michael Boucher ,
Allan Yozawitz ,
Leslie Major  and
Anand K. Pandurangi
Anand K. Pandurangi
Affiliation:
Upstate Medical Center, State University of New York; now Clinical Research Fellow in Psychiatry, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, N.Y., N.Y. 10032
Mantosh J. Dewan*
Affiliation:
Upstate Medical Center, State University of New York and V.A. Medical Center
Seungho Howard Lee
Affiliation:
Upstate Medical Center, State University of New York; now Clinical Professor of Radiology, Rutgers Medical School, Piscattaway, N.J. 07061
Tarakad Ramachandran
Affiliation:
Upstate Medical Center, State University of New York and V.A. Medical Center
Benjamin F. Levy
Affiliation:
Upstate Medical Center, State University of New York; now with the Northern Berkshire Mental Health Association, North Adams, Mass. 01247
Michael Boucher
Affiliation:
Upstate Medical Center, State University of New York and V.A. Medical Center
Allan Yozawitz
Affiliation:
Upstate Medical Center, State University of New York; Director, Neuropsychology Laboratory, Hutchings Psychiatric Center
Leslie Major
Affiliation:
Upstate Medical Center, State University of New York
Anand K. Pandurangi
Affiliation:
Upstate Medical Center, State University of New York
*
∗Correspondence to Dr Dewan at Upstate Medical Center, State University of New York, 750 East Adams Street, Syracuse, New York 13210, USA
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Summary

Twenty-three chronic schizophrenic patients and 23 controls, all males between 20 and 40 years of age, were evaluated by CT scan. The lateral, third and fourth ventricles, the Sylvian fissures, and the largest sulcus from each of the frontal, parietal, and occipital lobes, were measured in order to determine whether the previously reported ventriculomegaly in schizophrenics was perhaps due to a disturbance of CSF flow or to atrophy, two common causes of ventricular enlargement. We found that in the schizophrenic group the third and fourth ventricles and both Sylvian fissures were significantly enlarged, but not the lateral ventricles or cerebral sulci. Our data suggest that these ventricular changes are not due to a disturbance of CSF flow or to cerebral atrophy. Other possible explanations are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 144 , Issue 2 , February 1984 , pp. 172 - 176
Copyright
Copyright © 1984 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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