The authors assayed CSF 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA)
concentrations in 24 chronic schizophrenic patients, 9 of whom had enlarged
cerebral ventricles according to computerized tomography scans, and in 15
control subjects with neurological disorders. Although there were no
overall differences between the schizophrenic patients and the control
subjects, schizophrenic patients with enlarged ventricles had significantly
lower 5-HIAA concentrations. Also, ventricular size correlated inversely
with 5-HIAA concentrations. The findings are consistent with other evidence
that cerebral ventricular size is biologically meaningful in schizophrenic
patients.
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