We have been studying quantitative volume, neuronal density, neuronal size and nuclear size in selected areas of brains from patients with certain neuropsychiatric disorders as well as normal controls from different age groups. Results to date indicate that there is normally age-related Purkinje cell loss in the cerebellum, pyramidal cell loss in area CA4 of the hippocampus, and neuron loss in the locus ceruleus. In schizophrenic subjects, we found a significant decrease in the pyramidal cell density in area CA4 of the hippocampus, mainly in the left hemisphere when compared to controls, and a trend toward a reduction in CA4 density in affective disorder patients as well. We found no significant morphological differences between schizophrenic patients, affective disorder patients and normal controls in cerebellum or locus ceruleus.
