Abstract

KOLOMEETS, Natalya S.; VOSTRIKOV, Victor M.  and  URANOVA, Natalya A.. Abnormalities in oligodendrocyte clusters in the inferior parietal cortex in schizophrenia are associated with insight. Eur. J. Psychiat. [online]. 2013, vol.27, n.4, pp.248-258. ISSN 0213-6163.  https://dx.doi.org/10.4321/S0213-61632013000400003.

Background and Objectives: Deficits in oligodendrocytes have been consistently reported in the brains of patients with schizophrenia and include alterations in the clustering pattern of oligodendrocytes. Recently it has been shown that oligodendrocyte progenitors proliferate in the adult mammalian brain to form oligodendrocyte clusters (OlC). We previously found a deficit of oligodendrocytes in layer 3 of the inferior parietal lobule (IPL) in subjects with schizophrenia with poor insight into disorder. We hypothesized that the number of OlC might be reduced in schizophrenia subjects with poor insight. Methods: Nissl-stained sections from the Stanley "Parietal Collection" from male schizophrenia subjects (n = 24) that have poor, fair, or good insight into their disorder and normal matched controls (n = 24) were studied. The numerical density (Nv) of OlC was estimated in layer 3 of BA 39 and BA 40 by optical disector method. Results: The Nv of OlC was 23% lower in BA 39 and 30% lower in BA40 in the schizophrenia group compared to the control group (p Conclusions: The deficit of OlC may be associated with altered proliferation and/or maturation of oligodendrocyte progenitors in schizophrenia.

Keywords : Schizophrenia; Oligodendrocyte clusters; Inferior parietal lobule; Insight; Morphometry.

        · text in English     · English ( pdf )