Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the correlations between positive and negative symptoms and structural brain abnormalities in schizophrenia. Method: 22 patients, 14 male and 8 female who met DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia were included in this study. Mean age was 44.7±15.9 years, duration of education was 10.8±3.8 years and duration of illness was 18.9±13.1 years. Demographic variables were obtained. Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) and the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS) were administered. Magnetic resonance brain imaging was conducted in all patients. Obtained variables were evaluated by using spearman correlation analysis. Results: Average SAPS total score was 36.3±22.4 and SANS total score was 50.0±17.5. After global evaluation of brain abnormalities, definite pathologies were found in 9 (40.9 %) of patients, questionable pathologies were found in 8 (36.4%) of patients. In 5 (22.7 %) patients no pathologies were detected. Medium degree positive correlations were detected between positive symptoms and lateral, third and fourth ventricles, temporal and parietal cortex and medial temporal structural pathologies; and between negative symptoms and lateral, third and fourth ventricles, medial temporal and basal ganglia structural pathologies. Discussion: These results suggest that, positive and negative symptom dimensions in schizophrenia might be related with different structural brain abnormalities.
Key words: Schizophrenia, positive symptoms, negative symptoms, structural brain imaging
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