Meta-analysis of thalamic size in schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: This article presents a meta-analysis of thalamic size reduction in schizophrenia. METHODS: Reviewed studies were based on magnetic resonance imaging or postmortem material and included measures of thalamic volume or thalamic area in schizophrenic patients and comparison subjects. Meta-analysis I was based on absolute thalamic values (not controlled for overall brain size), and Meta-analysis II evaluated thalamic size adjusted for brain size. RESULTS: Meta-analysis I included data from 15 studies (485 schizophrenic subjects and 500 control subjects). Twelve (80%) of the studies had negative effect sizes, which is consistent with the hypothesis that thalamic size is smaller in schizophrenic subjects compared to control subjects. The composite effect size was -0.29 (p <.0001; without outliers: -0.41, p <.0001). Meta-analysis II included data from 11 studies (313 schizophrenic patients and 434 control subjects). Ten (91%) of the studies had negative effect sizes. The composite effect size was -0.35 (p <.0001; without outlier: -0.30, p <.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Both meta-analyses indicate a statistically significant, small-to-moderate effect size for thalamic size reduction in schizophrenia; however, the effect size for thalamic size reduction is modest in comparison to that of other structural abnormalities noted in schizophrenia.

The Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R): validation with clinical and nonclinical samples.

Past suicidal behaviors including ideation and attempts have been identified as significant risk factors for subsequent suicidal behavior. However, inadequate attention has been given to the development or validation of measures of past suicidal behavior. The present study examined the reliability and validity of a brief self-report measure of past suicidal behavior, the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R). Participants included psychiatric inpatient adolescents, high school students, psychiatric inpatient adults, and undergraduates. Logistic regression analyses provided empirical support for the usefulness of the SBQ-R as a risk measure of suicide to differentiate between suicide-risk and nonsuicidal study participants. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses indicated that the most useful cutoff scores on the SBQ-R were 7 for nonsuicidal samples, and 8 for clinical samples. Both the single SBQ-R Item 1 and SBQ-R total scores are recommended for use in clinical and nonclinical settings.