[Correlation of neuropsychological tests and density of brain white matter in schizophrenia].

Abstract

In a group of 10 subjects, nine schizophrenic patients and one healthy twin (seven men and three women, i.e. two monozygotic twin pairs: two patients and a healthy man and his sick twin brother, one dizygotic pair of two female patients, three male patients and one female patient without their appropriate twin siblings) Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Battery (HRNB) was used and partial neuropsychological tests (Wechsler Memory Scale, the Stroop Color-Word Test, Tonal Memory). The parameters of white matter density were evaluated by computed tomography. The fundamental findings include: In our small group numerous statistically significant correlations were found between neuropsychological tests and white matter density. 2. Higher density is associated with poorer neuropsychological efficiency. There are very similar correlations between neuropsychological variables and density parameters in different areas of the brain. 4. The majority of correlations of neuropsychological parameters is from the area of tactile and motor functions. 5. It is striking that there are statistically significant correlations of density with the simultaneous performance of both hands and the performance of the non-dominant hand but not with the performance of the dominant hand alone. 6. Some correlations pertain in addition to density also to the very controversial problem of the brain size of schizophrenic patients. In the investigated group an association between better neuropsychological performance and larger size of the brain was found. All findings will have to be tested in larger groups of patients and healthy subjects.