Dorsal Striatal Size, Shape, and Metabolic Rate in Never-Medicated and Previously Medicated Schizophrenics Performing a Verbal Learning Task

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Abstract
THE EFFICACY of neuroleptics in the treatment of schizophrenics has been linked to dopamine D2 receptors, which are highly concentrated in the striatum.1-3 Because brain tissue studies have not revealed consistent histopathological changes in striatal structures, quantitative differences in size and activity have been sought in morphometric and functional imaging studies. No significant difference in basal ganglia size was found between 13 schizophrenics and 9 control subjects in a postmortem morphometric study.4 However, a similar study of 23 schizophrenics found increased volume of the basal ganglia in both hemispheres (statistically significant on the right).5