A quantitative investigation of hippocampal pyramidal cell size, shape, and variability of orientation in schizophrenia
G. W. Christison, M. F. Casanova, D. R. Weinberger, R. Rawlings and J. E. Kleinman
National Institute of Mental Health, Clinical Brain Disorders Branch, William A. White Research Hospital, St. Elizabeth's Hospital, Washington, DC 20032.
Hippocampal abnormalities have been described in patients with
schizophrenia, with disarray of pyramidal cells being one of the more
intriguing findings. Controversy exists regarding whether disarray is
present in the brains from schizophrenics in the Yakovlev collection at the
Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, DC. We examined for
disarray the CA1 region of the midhippocampus of 17 schizophrenics and 32
controls from this collection using computerized determination of neuronal
angle and directional statistical analysis of the variability of neuronal
angle. Neuronal area and shape were also assessed. We found no differences
between patients and controls in these measures. Possible methodological
reasons for the discrepancy between our and others' findings are discussed,
as well as directions for further research into possible pathological study
of the hippocampus and related structures in schizophrenia.
