The effect of atypical antipsychotics on pituitary gland volume in patients with first-episode psychosis: A longitudinal MRI study

JP Nicolo; GE Berger; BA Garner; D Velakoulis; C Markulev; M Kerr; PD McGorry; TM Proffitt; M McConchie; C Pantelis; SJ Wood

Journal article

The effect of atypical antipsychotics on pituitary gland volume in patients with first-episode psychosis: A longitudinal MRI study

JP Nicolo, GE Berger, BA Garner, D Velakoulis, C Markulev, M Kerr, PD McGorry, TM Proffitt, M McConchie, C Pantelis, SJ Wood

Schizophrenia Research | ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV | Published : 2010

DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2009.10.005

Abstract

Background: Pituitary volume is currently measured as a marker of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal hyperactivity in patients with psychosis despite suggestions of susceptibility to antipsychotics. Qualifying and quantifying the effect of atypical antipsychotics on the volume of the pituitary gland will determine whether this measure is valid as a future estimate of HPA-axis activation in psychotic populations. Aims: To determine the qualitative and quantitative effect of atypical antipsychotic medications on pituitary gland volume in a first-episode psychosis population. Method: Pituitary volume was measured from T1-weighted magnetic resonance images in a group of 43 first-episode psychosis pa..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Dennis Velakoulis Author

Connie Markulev Author

Melissa Kerr Author

Patrick McGorry Author

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Grants

Awarded by National Health and Medical Research Council

Funding Acknowledgements

This study was supported by NHMRC Project grants 145627 and 209062, NHMRC Program grants 350241 and 566529, the Colonial Foundation, and by AstraZeneca Australia. A/Prof Wood is supported by a Clinical Career Development Award from the NHMRC, and Dr Garner is supported by a NHMRC Post-doctoral Training Fellowship. Neuroimaging analysis was facilitated by the Neuropsychiatry Imaging Laboratory managed by Ms Bridget Soulsby at the Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre and supported by Neurosciences Victoria.