The British Journal of Psychiatry 147: 241-245 (1985)
© 1985 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
Third ventricle size and dementia in schizophrenia
RG Bankier
Using an ultrasound technique, the widths of the third ventricle in a group
of normal subjects was compared with groups of chronic schizophrenics and
acutely ill schizophrenics. While the chronic patients showed a
significantly wider ventricle (p less than 0.5) from the other two groups,
only 14% of the chronic patients had a third ventricle greater than the
accepted normal maximum of 8 mm. Neuropsychological tests confirmed organic
brain impairment in both chronic and acutely ill patients but there was no
significant difference between chronic patients with large ventricles and
those with normal size ventricles. This suggests that third ventricle size
is not part of the schizophrenic disease process and is not related to the
dementia seen in the late stages of the illness.