Corpus callosum in schizophrenia with deficit and non-deficit syndrome: a statistical shape analysis.

Background: The corpus callosum (CC) is the most targeted region in the cerebrum that integrates cognitive data between homologous areas in the right and left hemispheres.

Aims: Our study used statistical analysis to determine whether there was a correlation between shape changes in the CC in patients with schizophrenia (SZ) (deficit syndrome (DS) and non-deficit syndrome (NDS)) and healthy control (HC) subjects.

Methods: This study consisted of 27 HC subjects and 50 schizophrenic patients (20 with DS and 30 with NDS). 3 patients with DS and 4 patients with NDS were excluded. Three-dimensional, sagittal, T1-spoiled, gradient-echo imaging was used. Standard anatomical landmarks were selected and marked on each image using specific software.

Results: As to comparing the Procrustes mean shapes of the CC, statistically significant differences were observed between HC and SZ (DS+NDS) (p=0.017, James's F=73.732), HC and DS (p<0.001, James's F=140.843), HC and NDS (p=0.006, James's F=89.178) and also DS and NDS (p<0.001, James's F=152.967). Shape variability in the form of CC was 0.131, 0.085, 0.082 and 0.086 in the HC, SZ (DS+NDS), DS and NDS groups, respectively.

Conclusions: This study reveals callosal shape variations in patients with SZ and their DS and NDS subgroups that take into account the CC's topographic distribution.