The Quantitative Morphologic Analysis Using MRI of the Lateral Ventricle in Patients with Early-Onset Psychotic Disorder(EOPD) in Korea

초록

The enlargement in lateral ventricle is well established finding in adult-onset schizophrenia, but in the patients with EOPD the finding is still controversial.By means of retrospective quantitative neuroanantomic imaging, the authors planimetrically assessed the lateral ventricle in patients with EOPD. The brain MR images of 14 patients withe EOPD(mean age 14.0+- 2.1 yr) who met the DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and 24 control subjects with headache were collected. Single best view for the lateral ventricles , one axial slice was selected for analysis. MR images were redigitalized with flatbed scanner and data were analyzed with NIH IMAGE software. Pixel counting and area measurements were done. The lateral ventricles of patients with EOPD was significantly enlarged than control subjects and ventricular brain ratio was also show significant difference between two groups. Normal asymmetry of lateral ventricle was not observed for the patients with EOPD. This finding supports the continuity between early and later onset psychotic disorders. KEY WORDS: Early-Onset Psychotic Disoder, Lateral Ventricle, MRI