RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Previous studies have reported that hippocampal volumes correlate with symptom severity in schizophrenia. This longitudinal study measured changes in symptoms and hippocampal volume in patients switched from typical antipsychotics to olanzapine. METHODS: MRI scans were acquired from patients with chronic schizophrenia (n=10) and healthy volunteers (n=20). At baseline, patients were treated with typical antipsychotics for at least one year, then switched to olanzapine, and rescanned approximately one year later. RESULTS: Olanzapine treatment resulted in no significant change in right or left hippocampal volume. Individual changes in right hippocampal volume correlated significantly with changes in symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Hippocampal volume change may serve as a marker of symptom change in patients on olanzapine.
Assuntos
Antipsicóticos/farmacologia , Antipsicóticos/uso terapêutico , Hipocampo/anatomia & histologia , Hipocampo/efeitos dos fármacos , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética , Esquizofrenia/diagnóstico , Esquizofrenia/tratamento farmacológico , Adulto , Benzodiazepinas/farmacologia , Benzodiazepinas/uso terapêutico , Doença Crônica , Manual Diagnóstico e Estatístico de Transtornos Mentais , Feminino , Seguimentos , Humanos , Masculino , OlanzapinaRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The authors performed a longitudinal study of the effects on thalamic volume of switching from typical to atypical antipsychotic medications. METHOD: Magnetic resonance imaging scans were acquired from 10 subjects with chronic schizophrenia taking typical antipsychotics and 20 healthy volunteers. Subjects with schizophrenia were switched to olanzapine; both groups were rescanned. RESULTS: At baseline, thalamic volumes in subjects with chronic schizophrenia were 5.8% greater than those of healthy volunteers. At follow-up, there was no significant difference between groups. Additional analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between baseline thalamic volume and dosage of typical antipsychotic medication. Higher dosages at baseline were correlated with larger reductions in volume after the switch to olanzapine. CONCLUSIONS: Antipsychotic medication effects may be a factor in the wide range of thalamic volume differences reported between subjects with schizophrenia and healthy volunteers.