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Thalamic and amygdala-hippocampal volume reductions in first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia: an MRI-based morphometric analysis
Seidman LJ, Faraone SV, Goldstein JM, Goodman JM, Kremen WS, Toomey R, Tourville J, Kennedy D et al.. Biological psychiatry, 1999-10-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Background Schizophrenia is characterized by subcortical and cortical brain abnormalities. Evidence indicates that some nonpsychotic relatives of schizophrenic patients manifest biobehavioral abnormalities, including brain abnormalities. The goal of this study was to determine whether amygdala-hippocampal and thalamic abnormalities are present in relatives of schizophrenic patients. Methods Subjects were 28 nonpsychotic, and nonschizotypal, first-degree adult relatives of schizophrenics and 26 normal control subjects. Sixty contiguous 3 mm coronal, T1-weighted 3D magnetic resonance images of the brain were acquired on a 1.5 Tesla magnet. Cortical and subcortical gray and white matter and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were segmented using a semi-automated intensity contour mapping algorithm. Analyses of covariance of the volumes of brain regions, controlling for expected intellectual (i.e., reading) ability and diagnosis, were used to compare groups. Results The main findings were that relatives had significant volume reductions bilaterally in the amygdala-hippocampal region and thalamus compared to control subjects. Marginal differences were noted in the pallidum, putamen, cerebellum, and third and fourth ventricles. Conclusions Results support the hypothesis that core components of the vulnerability to schizophrenia include structural abnormalities in the thalamus and amygdala-hippocampus. These findings require further work to determine if the abnormalities are an expression of the genetic liability to schizophrenia.
Key findings
- Evidence indicates that some nonpsychotic relatives of schizophrenic patients manifest biobehavioral abnormalities, including brain abnormalities.
- Results The main findings were that relatives had significant volume reductions bilaterally in the amygdala-hippocampal region and thalamus compared to control subjects.
- Conclusions Results support the hypothesis that core components of the vulnerability to schizophrenia include structural abnormalities in the thalamus and amygdala-hippocampus.
- These findings require further work to determine if the abnormalities are an expression of the genetic liability to schizophrenia.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 36/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multi-centre collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 21 of the 58 points we could judge it on, which is 36 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Biological psychiatry) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 1999 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 10509177) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 21 / 58 | Scored on 11 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 21 of the 58 points we could judge it on is 36 out of 100. |
| Total | 36 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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APA 7th
Seidman, L. J., Faraone, S. V., Goldstein, J. M., Goodman, J. M., Kremen, W. S., Toomey, R., et al. (1999). Thalamic and amygdala-hippocampal volume reductions in first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia: an MRI-based morphometric analysis. Biological psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0006-3223(99)00075-x
Vancouver
Seidman LJ, Faraone SV, Goldstein JM, Goodman JM, Kremen WS, Toomey R, et al. Thalamic and amygdala-hippocampal volume reductions in first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia: an MRI-based morphometric analysis. Biological psychiatry. 1999. doi:10.1016/s0006-3223(99)00075-x. PMID: 10509177.
BibTeX
@article{seidman1999-10509177,
author = {Seidman, L. J. and Faraone, S. V. and Goldstein, J. M. and Goodman, J. M. and Kremen, W. S. and Toomey, R. and Tourville, J. and Kennedy, D. and others},
title = {{Thalamic and amygdala-hippocampal volume reductions in first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia: an MRI-based morphometric analysis}},
journal = {Biological psychiatry},
year = {1999},
doi = {10.1016/s0006-3223(99)00075-x},
pmid = {10509177},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/s0006-3223(99)00075-x}
}