Temporal lobe structure angulation in first-episode schizophrenia

Temporal lobe structures (including sylvian fissure, superior temporal gyrus, mesiotemporal lobe and temporal horn, etc.) changes in volume and asymmetry have been reported associated with schizophrenia. To have a close look of the issue, we performed a pilot study to investigate the relationships between the angulation and the volume, and asymmetry of these structures. We choose ten patients and ten controls from our Hillside First-Episode Schizophrenia Study sample, half of the cases in both group had largest asymmetry index, while the other half were from the other extreme. With reformatted MR images, we measured directly on the parasagittal plane the angles of sylvian fissure (posterior and anterior sections), the superior temporal sulcus, hippocampus-temporal horn from both sidesof the brain, relative to the AC-PC line, and comparison between groups and within group were made. We also checked the correlations of these angles with the asymmetry index and the different part of cortex volumes. The most striking finding is a sex-group interaction on the right superior temporal sulcus angles and right mesiotemporal lobe angles. Further study with a larger sample is needed.