Schizophrenia differs from many other diseases in that it cannot be diagnosed based on results of laboratory tests. Although brain abnormalities are associated with schizophrenia, these cannot be used as diagnostic tools.
Some structural brain abnormalities are consistently present in individuals with schizophrenia.[1]
- Enlarged ventricles and prominent sulci in the cortex are the most common brain abnormalities
- Other brain abnormalities include decreased temporal lobe and hippocampal size, increased basal ganglia size, and decreased cerebral size.[2,3]
It is difficult to know if some of the brain abnormalities are a complication of schizophrenia or a function of treatment.[4] However, in some research projects it has been demonstrated that enlarged ventricles and sulci were present in the premorbid stage, prior to any treatment for schizophrenia.
Figure 7. Diagram demonstrating the rate of grey matter loss in schizophrenia and control subjects
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