Cortical structural abnormalities in deficit versus nondeficit schizophrenia

Objective To examine the structural integrity of the dorsolateral prefrontal-basal ganglia–thalamocortical circuit in people with the deficit form of schizophrenia. Method A three-dimensional structural MRI sequence was used to conduct morphometric assessments of cortical and subcortical regions in deficit and nondeficit outpatients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. Results The superior prefrontal and superior and middle temporal gyral gray matter volumes were significantly smaller in the deficit versus the nondeficit group and normal control groups. There were no significant group differences in examined subcortical structures. Conclusion People with deficit schizophrenia are characterized by selective reductions in the prefrontal and temporal cortex.