Volumes of the caudate nuclei in women with somatization disorder and healthy women

• Published in: Psychiatry research Vol. 131; no. 1; pp. 71 - 78
• Main Authors: Hakala, Mika, Karlsson, Hasse, Kurki, Timo, Aalto, Sargo, Koponen, Salla, Vahlberg, Tero, Niemi, Päivi M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 30.05.2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; Brain; Brain - pathology; Brain - physiopathology; Brain Mapping; Caudate Nucleus - pathology; Caudate Nucleus - physiopathology; Dominance, Cerebral - physiology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hippocampus; Hippocampus - pathology; Hippocampus - physiopathology; Humans; Hypertrophy; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Mathematical Computing; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; MRI; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Putamen; Putamen - pathology; Putamen - physiopathology; Reference Values; Somatization; Somatoform Disorders - diagnosis; Somatoform Disorders - physiopathology; Somatoform Disorders - psychology; Volumetry; Somatization; Brain; MRI; Putamen; Volumetry; Hippocampus; Human; Volumetric analysis; Healthy subject; Pathophysiology; Central nervous system; Basal ganglion; Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; Encephalon; Caudate nucleus; Investigation method; Somatoform disorder; Female; Morphometry; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0925-4927; 0165-1781; 1872-7506
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2004.03.001

Very little is known about the pathophysiology of somatization disorder. This study was designed to analyze the volumes of some brain structures possibly involved in somatization based on the observation of glucose metabolism of the brain in these patients. We studied 10 female patients with a diagnosis of somatization disorder or undifferentiated somatoform disorder with no comorbid current DSM-IV Axis I disorder and compared them to 16 healthy female volunteers using brain MRI (1.5T instrument). The patients had bilateral enlargement of caudate nuclei volumes compared with healthy volunteers. These volume differences in the caudate nuclei could be associated with the pathophysiology of somatization.