Regional Striatal Volume Abnormalities in Schizophrenia: Effects of Comorbidity for Alcoholism, Recency of Alcoholic Drinking, and Antipsychotic Medication Type

Striatal structures form critical nodes of multiple circuits that are implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and alcoholism. Here, we examined the separate and combined effects of schizophrenia and alcoholism and effects of medication type and drinking recency on striatal volumes. Accordingly, we measured caudate nucleus, putamen, and nucleus accumbens in 27 schizophrenic, 25 alcohol-dependent, 19 comorbid (schizophrenia and alcohol dependence or abuse), and 51 age-matched control men. Schizophrenics were classified by antipsychotic medication (typical or atypical), and alcoholics were classified by recency of sobriety. All measured structures were smaller in the patient groups than the control group. The caudate deficit was comparable across groups, whereas putamen and nucleus accumbens deficits were greater in schizophrenia than alcoholism; comorbids fell between these groups. Schizophrenic patients treated with atypical medication showed greater volume deficits in the putamen than those treated with typical medication. Recently sober (<3 weeks) alcoholics had greater deficits in nucleus accumbens than longer sober drinkers. In conclusion, caudate, putamen, and nucleus accumbens exhibited different patterns of volume deficit in patients with alcoholism and schizophrenia alone, with no evidence for compounded deficits in comorbid patients. Further, these cross-sectional data provide indirect support for at least partial recovery of nucleus accumbens volume with sobriety in alcoholics, regardless of schizophrenia comorbidity.