Comparison of MRI and CT scans in a group of psychiatric patients

The authors compared the results of computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of 16 psychotic patients with various diagnoses whose neurologic examinations suggested structural brain abnormalities. Blind readings showed a high concordance of findings, including ventricle-to-brain ratios, although MRI appeared superior in visualizing midline structures and identifying atrophic changes. Because it requires no ionizing radiation, MRI allows multiple studies of the same patient, study of family members, and recruitment of unbiased samples of control subjects. Use of MRI may help address questions regarding the specificity and prevalence of brain abnormalities observed with CT in psychotic patients.