SYMPOSIA
SYMPOSIA
SYMPOSIA
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Bulletin of Clinical Psychopharmacology, Vol: 21, Supplement: 2, 2011 - www.psikofarmakoloji.org<br />
Abstracts of the Invited Speakers<br />
with the determination of disordered brain structures at the levels of neurons and neuronal populations in brain mapping by creating<br />
mathematical formulations and treatment. Psychosurgery aims to regain systematic and comprehensive brain functions via minimally<br />
invasive nondestructive neurosurgical applications. Psychosurgery is indicated for treatment-refractory major mental illnesses such as<br />
depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, schizophrenia and others. Neurostimulative methods are preferred to neuroablative methods.<br />
Neurons have highly complex morphological, electrophysiological, and biochemical properties as reflected in many psychomotor<br />
functions, continuation of mental homeostasis, repertoire of activity patterns and multiple signaling pathways. Morphologically,<br />
neurochemically and electrophysiologically heterogeneous neuron groups project to the cerebral cortex, deep brain structures, brain<br />
stem, spinal cord and autonomous ganglia. These highly complex ascending and descending pathways participate in different functions,<br />
including cognition, motivation, emotion, speech, calculation, memory and autonomic regulation.<br />
Disorders of neuronal populations can cause neuropsychiatric illnesses. Neurostimulative applications are the most useful treatment<br />
methods for intractable cases. However, in experimental studies, stem cells and teacher neurons specifically educated by computerised<br />
mediums have begun to be implantated into the brain for education and stimulation of dysfunctional neuron groups.<br />
Psychosurgery has been directed to neurocomputer interfacing technologies. Hybride neuroelectric devices, neuromimetic protheses,<br />
sonic and photonic multichip modules, biotic-abiotic neuromodulators, bio-robotics and reconfigurable neural nanodevices have shown<br />
promise for future excellent treatment strategies for mental illnesses.<br />
Key words: Psychosurgery, deep brain stimulation<br />
Bulletin of Clinical Psychopharmacology 2011;21(Suppl. 2):S60-1<br />
[PS-06]<br />
Symposium Title: Neuroimaging in psychopharmacology: An update<br />
What is the real meaning of ventricular enlargement in schizophrenia?<br />
Nazlı Buğçe Vedin Özçelik<br />
Department of Psychiatry, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey<br />
E-mail: bugcevedin@gmail.com<br />
Schizophrenia usually starts during adolescence or young adulthood but tends to persist throughout life. Even at the time that the<br />
concept of schizophrenia was first defined, it was thought to be a brain disease. Before the development of brain imaging techniques,<br />
post-mortem brain examinations were performed. It was reported that patients had frontal atrophy and less brain weight than the normal<br />
population. After the development of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging techniques, the number of the studies<br />
in this field increased.<br />
Structural MRI imaging studies indicated that brain abnormalities were present at the onset of the disease. One strong piece of evidence<br />
indicating that schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disorder derives from the fact that many types of brain abnormalities are present<br />
at the time of the first episode off illness. These include decreased cerebral size, decreased frontal and temporal lobe sizes, decreased<br />
thalamic size, decreases in gray matter and white matter volumes and enlargement of the ventricles. These findings support the likelihood<br />
that this illness arises because of aberrations in the complex neurodevelopmantal processes that modulate brain maturation during the<br />
adolescent and young adult period.<br />
Lateral ventricular enlargement is one of the most consistent findings in patients with schizophrenia. However whether progressive<br />
ventricular dilatation occurs during the course of the illness has been controversial. Some findings suggest that there is progressive<br />
ventricular enlargement with no significant effect of age of onset, duration of illness or age at the baseline scan. In some longitudinal<br />
studies there was evidence that negative symptoms have an association with increases in total CSF volume and in the ventricles as<br />
indicated by the ventricular–brain ratio. Patients who achieve longer periods of remission have less expansion of the CSF, although, some<br />
findings support the premise that there is a subgroup of patients with neuroprogression.<br />
Key words: Schizophrenia, magnetic resonance imaging, lateral ventricle<br />
Bulletin of Clinical Psychopharmacology 2011;21(Suppl. 2):S61<br />
S61