Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Visual Evoked Potentials (VEPs) of Occipital Region in Patients with Schizophrenia and Migraine Headache.

AIM: To examine the morphologic variations of occipital sulci patterns in patients with schizophrenia and migraine haeadache regarding gender and laterality as well as damage of visual pathway in patients with schizophrenia using magnetic resonance imagining (MRI) and visual evoked potentials (VEPs).

METHODS: This study included 80 patients and brain scans and visual evoked potential responses recorded over the occipital cortex were performed to analyze the occipital region of both hemispheres. Average total volumes of both hemispheres and average values of amplitude of the healthy population for the comparasion were used.

RESULTS: There was statistically significant difference between subjects considering gender (p=0.012). Parameters of parieto-occipital fissure (p=0.0314) showed statistically significant positive correlation with P100 amplitude (p=0.05), body of the calcarine sulcus (p=0.0213) had significant positive correlation with P100 amplitude (p=0.04), retro calcarine sulcus (p=0.0516) and P100 amplitude (p=0.03) showed statistically significant difference only of left hemisphere in male patients with schizophrenia with shallower depth of the sulcus and P100 amplitude reduction.

CONCLUSION: Schizophrenia is associated with the volume changes of the occipital lobe. Comparative analysis of morphologic differences in the gray matter of occipital lobe using MRI and VEPs revealed changes especially of the left hemisphere (shallower depth of sulcus and P100 amplitude reduction) only among a group of male patients.