Enlarged pituitary gland volume: a possible state rather than trait marker of psychotic disorders.
Psychol Med
; 54(8): 1835-1843, 2024 Jun.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38357733
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Enlarged pituitary gland volume could be a marker of psychotic disorders. However, previous studies report conflicting results. To better understand the role of the pituitary gland in psychosis, we examined a large transdiagnostic sample of individuals with psychotic disorders.METHODS:
The study included 751 participants (174 with schizophrenia, 114 with schizoaffective disorder, 167 with psychotic bipolar disorder, and 296 healthy controls) across six sites in the Bipolar-Schizophrenia Network on Intermediate Phenotypes consortium. Structural magnetic resonance images were obtained, and pituitary gland volumes were measured using the MAGeT brain algorithm. Linear mixed models examined between-group differences with controls and among patient subgroups based on diagnosis, as well as how pituitary volumes were associated with symptom severity, cognitive function, antipsychotic dose, and illness duration.RESULTS:
Mean pituitary gland volume did not significantly differ between patients and controls. No significant effect of diagnosis was observed. Larger pituitary gland volume was associated with greater symptom severity (F = 13.61, p = 0.0002), lower cognitive function (F = 4.76, p = 0.03), and higher antipsychotic dose (F = 5.20, p = 0.02). Illness duration was not significantly associated with pituitary gland volume. When all variables were considered, only symptom severity significantly predicted pituitary gland volume (F = 7.54, p = 0.006).CONCLUSIONS:
Although pituitary volumes were not increased in psychotic disorders, larger size may be a marker associated with more severe symptoms in the progression of psychosis. This finding helps clarify previous inconsistent reports and highlights the need for further research into pituitary gland-related factors in individuals with psychosis.Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Bases de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Hipófisis
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Trastornos Psicóticos
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Esquizofrenia
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Trastorno Bipolar
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Imagen por Resonancia Magnética
Tipo de estudio:
Prognostic_studies
Límite:
Adult
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Psychol Med
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Canadá