Cerebral Ventricular Size and Neuropsychological Impairment in Young Chronic Schizophrenics

Abstract

• The relationship between size of cerebral ventricles in chronic schizophrenics and performance on a comprehensive neuropsychological battery, the Standardized Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery, was investigated. Ventricular size was determined by using a planimeter to measure the size of the lateral ventricles and the ventricular body, if present, on the computerized tomographic (CT) scan image that showed the largest lateral ventricles. This number was divided by the size of the brain as a whole on the same image of the CT scan to yield a ventricular brain ratio. This ratio was then correlated with the scores on the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery. Eight of the 14 scales of the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery correlated significantly at the .05 level with the ventricular brain ratio in a sample of 42 chronic schizophrenics with an average age of 32.3 years. Overall, there was a multiple correlation of .72 between the ventricular brain ratio and Luria scores. The overall ventricular brain ratio for the schizophrenics was significantly above that found in normal populations. Changes in the size of the ventricles in schizophrenics appear to have significant correlates with measures of neuropsychological performance.