Corpus callosum morphology in first-episode and chronic schizophrenia: combined magnetic resonance and diffusion tensor imaging study of Chinese Singaporean patients.

Background: Abnormalities in the corpus callosum have been reported in patients with schizophrenia for over 30 years but the influence of inter-individual differences and illness characteristics remains to be fully elucidated.

Aims: To examine the influence of individual and illness characteristics on the corpus callosum in Chinese Singaporean patients with schizophrenia.

Method: Using magnetic resonance and diffusion tensor imaging, mean corpus callosum area, volume and fractional anisotropy were investigated in 120 Chinese Singaporean patients (52 with chronic and 68 with first-episode schizophrenia) and compared with data from 75 matched healthy controls.