Lateral ventricle volume changes in patients with psychotic disorders: evaluation in the first episode psychosis and after one and a half year and four years followings, using MRI images

• Grant number: 12/07983-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2012
• End date: October 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Psychiatry
• Principal Investigator: Geraldo Busatto Filho
• Grantee: Lucas Naufal Macedo
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Longitudinal studies of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in patients with first episode psychosis, particularly schizophrenia, investigated the possibility of a progressive deterioration of the brain morphology during the initial period of the disease. Loss of gray matter volume and increase of ventricles volumes were noted over time. This progression of abnormalities in brain structures is possibly associated with a worse prognosis and may not occur in patients with good clinical outcome. The aim of this study is to evaluate the cerebral ventricular volumetry using MRI in patients with first episode psychosis and in two segments, the first in 1.5 years and the second in 4 years, and in controls, recruited in the same geographical area of the patients, also evaluated in segments. The ventricular volume will be measured by drawing the region of interest (ROI).We will test the hypothesis that patients with schizophrenia have greater ventricular enlargement compared to patients with affective psychoses and compared to controls, and that patients with better prognosis and outcome, may not have ventricular enlargement over the segments, but present reversal of structural abnormalities present in the first episode psychosis. (AU)