Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to S de Cataldo.
The study reports the preliminary data from a small 12-patient sample assessed at the time of their first psychotic episode and diagnosed as having a schizophreniform disorder. After a 1-year follow-up period all the patients were newly evaluated on clinical and global functioning variables, using clinical diagnosis as an outcome measure. A diagnostic stability in the schizophrenic spectrum was found.
A high resolution cytogenetic study was performed on forty unrelated schizophrenic patients defined by DSM-III-R criteria. We have not included cases with mental retardation, severe dysmorphic features or other characteristic symptoms of chromosomal syndromes in our analysis. No recognizable chromosomal abnormality was found.
Magnetic resonance (MR) was used to examine the cerebellar vermis in 23 patients with schizophrenia and 16 matched controls. MR midsagittal images were processed with computerized image analysis to control partial volume effects as precisely as possible. No between-group differences were found for vermal-to-cerebrum ratio. When gender differences were examined, male patients showed a lower vermal-to-brain ratio than their female counterparts, mainly because of a reduction of the lobules I-V.
Sixteen bipolar and 10 schizophrenic patients, all male, underwent magnetic resonance imaging scans. Areas derived from five coronal sections were measured separately and then summed to obtain an estimate of temporal lobe volumes. Schizophrenics showed a reduction of temporal lobe areas in those sections corresponding to the hippocampal region. This finding was more pronounced for the left side, although no diagnosis by side interaction was present. Temporal lobe volume was also reduced in schizophrenics. When a lateralized difference was present, the right temporal lobe was larger than the left in both patient groups.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Thirty-six chronic schizophrenics and 24 controls, all males, were evaluated by computed tomography (CT) scans. The lateral, third and fourth ventricles, the Sylvian fissure and the largest sulcus from each lobe were measured. In the schizophrenic patients there was a significant increase in third ventricle, ventricular brain ratio (VBR) and cortical measures. The possible implications of these findings in the aetiopathology of schizophrenia are discussed.
Twenty-three patients with DSM III chronic schizophrenia, were given the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale and had CT brain scans performed in order to measure the size of the 3rd and 4th ventricles and ventricular brain ratio (VBR). CT-scans showed an evident enlargement of the 3rd ventricle and a VBR overall significantly above that found in normal sample. No significant correlation between ventricular size and cognitive impairment was found. Possible meanings of these findings will be discussed in this paper.
There is increasing evidence in the literature to suggest that HIV-1 infection involves the central nervous system (CNS) as a result of its direct neurotropic properties. In order to find predictors of neurological dysfunction in HIV-1 infection 20 seropositive patients were studied. Data support the notion that neurological soft signs correlate with the stage of infection that may be considered an informative predictor of CNS involvement during the course of HIV-1 infection.