Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38050567›Full record

ArticleBasic and clinical neuroscience

Raphe Nuclei Echogenicity and Diameter of Third Ventricle in Schizophrenia Measured by Transcranial Sonography.

Mahnoush Mahdiar, Nahid Mohammadzade, Amirsina Homayooni, Fahimeh Haji Akhoundi, Fatemeh Kashaninasab, Babak Zamani, Seyed Vahid Shariat, Mohammadreza Shalbafan, Mohammad Rohani

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Basic and clinical neuroscience. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.1field-weighted citation impact, top 58% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Mahnoush MahdiarDepartment of Psychiatry, Mental Health Research Center, School of Medicine, Psychosocial Health Research Institute (PHRI), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.ORCID 0000-0002-9969-8810
Nahid MohammadzadeDepartment of Neurology, Brown university, Providence, The United States of America.ORCID 0000-0001-5609-7938
Amirsina HomayooniDepartment of Neurology, Rasool-Akram Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.ORCID 0009-0001-2352-3918
Fahimeh Haji AkhoundiDepartment of Neurology, Firoozgar Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.ORCID 0000-0002-1757-3169
Fatemeh KashaninasabDepartment of Psychiatry, Mental Health Research Center, School of Medicine, Psychosocial Health Research Institute (PHRI), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.ORCID 0000-0003-4463-7399
Babak ZamaniDepartment of Neurology, Firoozgar Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.ORCID 0000-0002-4527-5134
Seyed Vahid ShariatDepartment of Psychiatry, Mental Health Research Center, School of Medicine, Psychosocial Health Research Institute (PHRI), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.ORCID 0000-0001-5086-7719
Mohammadreza ShalbafanDepartment of Psychiatry, Mental Health Research Center, School of Medicine, Psychosocial Health Research Institute (PHRI), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.ORCID 0000-0002-4536-3441
Mohammad RohaniDepartment of Neurology, Rasool-Akram Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.ORCID 0000-0002-5409-1804
Iran University of Medical Sciences · IRFiroozgar General Hospital · IRInstitute for Cognitive Science Studies · IR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Serotonergic system hyperactivity at 5-HT2A receptors on glutamate neurons in the cerebral cortex is one of the pathways that is theoretically linked to psychosis. In addition to neurotransmitter dysfunction, volumetric studies have revealed the loss of cortical gray matter and ventricular enlargement in patients with schizophrenia, although there is no case-control research on patients with schizophrenia to evaluate echogenicity of raphe nuclei (RN) or diameter of the third ventricle (DTV). To address these issues, the present study assessed midbrain RN, as the main source of brain serotonin, and DTV, as an index of atrophy, by transcranial sonography (TCS) in a group of patients with schizophrenia. Methods: Thirty patients with schizophrenia and 30 controls were assessed by TCS for RN echogenicity and DTV. TCS was done through a temporal bone window via a phased-array ultrasound using a 2.5 MHz transducer in a depth of 14-16 cm. RN echogenicity was assessed by a semi-quantitative visual scale and DTV was measured in the thalamic plane. Results: Twenty-three patients (76.5%) and 15 controls (50 %) showed hypoechogenicity of RN, which was marginally significant (P=0.06). DTV was on average larger in the experimental group (0.388 cm vs 0.234 cm, P<0.001). Conclusion: Increased DTV in patients with schizophrenia is consistent with previous neuroimaging findings. However, marginally lower echogenicity of midbrain RN on TCS in schizophrenia is a new finding that supports the serotonin hypothesis of schizophrenia. Highlights: 30 patients with schizophrenia and 30 controls were assessed by TCS for RN echogenicity and diameter of the third ventricle (DTV).23 patients (76.5%) and 15(50 %) controls showed hypoechogenicity of RN which was marginally significant (P=0.06)DTV was in average larger in the patient's group (0.388 cm vs 0.234 cm, P<0.001).Increased DTV in the patients with schizophrenia is consistent with previous neuroimaging findingsMarginally lower echogenicity of midbrain RN on TCS in schizophrenia is a new finding that supports the serotonin hypothesis of schizophrenia. Plain Language Summary: Schizophrenia is a disabling psychiatric disorder. Various neurotransmitters have a role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia including Serotonin and dopamine. This study assessed the echogenicity of raphe nuclei (RN), as the main source of brain serotonin, and the diameter of the third ventricle (DTV), as an index of atrophy, by transcranial sonography (TCS) method in 30 patients with schizophrenia and 30 healthy controls. Based on the results, 23 patients (76.5%) and 15 controls (50%) showed decreased echogenicity of RN. There was a significant difference between the two groups in terms of the echogenicity of RN. Moreover, the DTV diameter was significantly larger in patients compared to controls.

Indexed as

Raphe nucleiSchizophreniaSerotoninThird ventricle

Identifiers

PMID38050567
PMCPMC10693814
OpenAlexW4253984452

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.