The size of the ventricles of 19 young hospitalized patients with
chronic schizophrenia was compared with that of 29 same-age control
subjects. The patients had a slightly but significantly larger bicaudate
ratio. Analysis of these results in the context of previous studies of
ventricular size and schizophrenia suggests that, contrary to current
views, there is a direct relationship between size of ventricles and
duration of schizophrenic illness. The authors argue that the conflicting
results of different studies of ventricular size and schizophrenia can be
reconciled by postulating that both clinical schizophrenia and ventricular
enlargement are overt signs of an underlying neuronal degeneration that is
hereditary and progressive.Abstract Teaser