Pituitary volume in neuroleptic-naïve schizophrenia: A structural MRI study
Abstract
Abnormalities in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) have been implicated in psychosis. To our knowledge, no prior study has measured pituitary volume in a neuroleptic-naïve schizophrenic population. Herein, we present data exploring the volumetric differences in a sample of antipsychotic-naïve patients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia versus appropriately matched healthy controls. Pituitary volumes were measured in 51 patients with schizophrenia (36 males, 15 females, mean age+/-S.D.: 25.2+/-7.4 years) and 55 healthy controls (30 males, 25 females; mean age+/-S.D.: 25.2+/-6.6 years) Measurements were conducted on 1.5 mm thick T1-weighted coronal images from a 1.5T scanner by two trained raters. Patients with schizophrenia had significantly smaller pituitary volumes than healthy control subjects (mean volume+/-S.D.=0.58+/-0.14 cm(3) and 0.66+/-0.17 cm(3) respectively; ANCOVA (using intracranial volume, gender and age as covariates), F=6.81, df=1, 101; p=0.01). These findings provide new evidence of a smaller pituitary volume in neuroleptic-naïve patients with schizophrenia. The observed alterations in pituitary volume are consistent with neuroendocrine studies that have reported abnormalities in the HPA axis in psychosis. Similar volume reductions have been seen in other neuropsychiatric populations and may cut across diagnostic boundaries.
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Smaller pituitary volumes are found with chronic schizophrenia, possibly reflecting pituitary hypoplasia following repeated HPA overactivity.
“In contrast, smaller volumes are found with chronic schizophrenia (57, 58), possibly reflecting pituitary hypoplasia following repeated HPA overactivity.”
From Childhood Trauma, the HPA Axis and Psychiatric Illnesses: A Targeted Literature Synthesis (2022) · cites this paper as [58]
In groups of psychotic patients, an inverse association has been reported between illness duration and pituitary volume, but inconsistent findings exist.
“In groups of psychotic patients, an inverse association has been reported between illness duration and pituitary volume [55,56] , but, again, inconsistent findings exist [57,58] .”
From The traumagenic neurodevelopmental model of psychosis revisited (2014) · cites this paper as [58]
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The traumagenic neurodevelopmental model of psychosis revisited
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“In contrast, smaller volumes are found with chronic schizophrenia (57, 58), possibly reflecting pituitary hypoplasia following repeated HPA overactivity.”
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Pituitary volume in unaffected relatives of patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
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Increased pituitary volume in schizophrenia spectrum disorders
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- Authors
- UPADHYAYA, A., ELSHEIKH, R., MACMASTER, F., DIWADKAR, V, & KESHAVAN, M.
- Affiliations
- Wayne State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- KESHAVAN, M
- Venue
- Schizophrenia Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2007-02
- Volume
- 90
- Issue
- 1-3
- Pages
- 266-273
- ISSN
- 0920-9964 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1978105111
- Cited by
- 51
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 1.49
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Schizophrenia Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (UL1TR000005)
- U.S. Public Health Service (R01 64023)
- National Institute of Mental Health (MH 45156, P50MH045156)
- National Center for Research Resources (M01-RR00056, M01RR000056)
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Schizophrenia research and treatment
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Mental Health and Psychiatry
- Keywords
- pituitary volume, schizophrenia
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Chronic Disease, Female, Humans, Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Pituitary Gland, Pituitary-Adrenal System, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Reference Values, Schizophrenia, Schizophrenic Psychology
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