Schizophrenia was associated with an indisputable but small difference in ventricle:brain ratio compared to controls, likely too small for practical diagnostic significance.
Meta-Analysis
Is there a difference in ventricle:brain ratio (VBR) between schizophrenics and controls?
While schizophrenics have a different ventricle:brain ratio compared to controls, the difference is too small to be of practical significance in diagnosis.
Multivariate meta-analysis was performed on 39 studies of ventricular size in schizophrenia which used the ventricle:brain ratio (VBR). The size of the VBR was dependent both upon the date when studies were carried out (more recent studies showing a reduction in the difference between schizophrenics and controls), and upon the diagnostic criterion used in the studies. Methodological factors in study design seemed more important than the characteristics of the schizophrenic subjects, in determining the VBR. Our analysis suggests that there is a difference in VBR between schizophrenics and controls which would seem to be an indisputable characteristic of schizophrenia. However, the difference is smaller than has previously been thought, so that, although of undoubted theoretical interest in accounting for the aetiology of schizophrenia, it is probably too small to be of practical significance in diagnosis, or in the differentiation of subtypes.
Horn et al. (Fri,) conducted a meta-analysis in Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia vs. Controls was evaluated on Ventricle:brain ratio (VBR) difference. Schizophrenia was associated with an indisputable but small difference in ventricle:brain ratio compared to controls, likely too small for practical diagnostic significance.
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