RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a new technique that can be used to visualize and measure the diffusion of water in brain tissue. It is particularly useful for evaluating white matter abnormalities. In this paper, we investigated the neuropathology of the corpus callosum in patients with schizophrenia through the new methods, diffusion tensor imaging. METHODS: Diffuse tensor imaging was performed in 19 schizophrenic patients and 26 healthy controls. One complementary measure, fractional anisotropy (FA), which is considered to be sensitive indices of axonal integrity, was obtained from regions of interest in the five areas of the corpus callosum. Neuropsychological measurement also underwent for measurement of frontal lobe function in two groups. RESULTS: There were no significant differences of FA in the DTI measures for either the schizophrenic patients compared with controls. FA was significantly decreased in women compared with men. Neuropsychological measurements such as Wisconsin card sorting test were correlated with FA of patients with schizophrenia. CONCLUSION: FA measures revealed no differences between schizophrenia and controls. The findings suggest that the structural integrity of white matter in patient with schizophrenia was not disrupted. The results are discussed in relation to previous studies reporting positive and negative findings. It is concluded that further studies using DTI in larger samples, improved and standardized methods of data acquisition and analysis are needed.