ENLARGED VENTRICLES AO1

• Krapelin’s views on schizophrenia

  Emil Kraepelin was one of the first psychiatrists to classify schizophrenia (or ‘dementia praecox’ as he called it).

  His view that schizophrenia was an organic brain disease. At the time his views are overshadowed by more famous psychiatrists. However, with the improved brain scanning technologies, modern researchers have produced much evidence to support Kraepelin’s early ideas about brain disease, identifying structural abnormalities in.

  the brain of those with schizophrenia.
• First findings from CT scans

  The first finding that indicated that brain damage was connected to schizophrenia came from the obvious appearance of enlarged cerebral ventricles as seen via Computer Tomography (CT) scans.  A CT scan shows a static image of the brain using x-rays.  Ventricles provide internal pressure that keep the neurons in place within the brain and they swell up if there is damage.
• 4 ventricles and their roles

  Brain scans such as MRI’s have found significant lateral and third ventricular enlargement in patients with schizophrenia compared with healthy control groups. It is understood that damage tends to be closest to the ventricle that is enlarged. CT studies by Johnstone (1976) and Weinberger (1980) both showed significant ventricular enlargement when schizophrenic brains were compared to those of controls. This indicates that brain damage is present in patients with schizophrenia and that this could be the cause of their symptoms.
• intro to cortical atrophy (loss of neurons in the brain)


  Loss of neurons in the brains of patients.  This type of damage appears to characterise the brains of 20% to 35% of people with chronic schizophrenia.
• Atrophy seen in male

  Vita et al (1988) used CAT scans to assess 124 individuals with schizophrenia and 45 control group participants.  They found that 33% of the individuals with schizophrenia showed moderate to severe atrophy.  Atrophy was not found to be related to many individual differences such as age, age of onset or family history, but it was found to be related to sex (specifically male) and if there was also ventricular enlargement.
• conclude enlarged ventricles


  In conclusion, these biological explanations offer a plausible justification for schizophrenia. Nonetheless, because this is a complex condition, we should adopt a holistic approach and take into account this biological reason in addition to others, such as cognitive issues and the importance of environmental and social factors.