A NEUROHISTOLOGICAL CORRELATE OF SCHIZOPHRENIA

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 19  (12) , 1601-1621
Abstract
An apparently consistent alteration of pyramidal cell orientation in 10 chronic schizophrenic patients compared with 8 nonschizophrenic controls is reported. A blind study based upon measurement of over 13,000 cells indicates highly significant differences between the 2 groups, particularly in anterior and middle hippocampal regions. Cell disarray is most pronounced at the CA 1-prosubiculum and CA 1/CA 2 interfaces. Smaller degrees of deviation, noted in the controls, together with more extreme deviation reported in a previous qualitative study of chronic schizophrenics from a state hospital, could be interpreted as suggesting a histopathological continuum ranging from the clinically nonpsychotic individual, through borderline states to the intractable long-term psychotic.