VENTRICULAR ENLARGEMENT AND WATER INTOXICATION IN SCHIZOPHRENIA

Abstract

To determine the extent to which atrophy was related to water intoxication in schizophrenic patients, ventricular enlargement in polydipsic schizophrenic patients with hyponatremia and schizophrenic controls without hyponatremia was measured in a linear way. Ventricular enlargement was found in both schizophrenic patient groups, and larger ventricles were associated with water intoxication. It is suggested that ventricular enlargement may reflect a developmental or degenerative pathological process involving the occurrence of water intoxication in schizophrenia.