Oligodendrocyte density is changed in the basolateral amygdala in schizophrenia but not depression

摘要

Subcortical nuclei have had little research in schizophrenia (SZ). Decreased volume and neuron size has been observed in the mediodorsal thalamus, caudate, putamen and basolateral amygdala (BLA) (Byne et al., 2002; Kreczmanski et al., 2007). The amygdala lies inferior to parahippocampal gyrus and anterior to the hippocampus. It is involved in functions such as analysing the emotional significance of a stimulus and coordinating the actions of a variety of brain systems (Nolte, 2002). The amygdala consists of the basolateral, corticomedial and olfactory grouping of sub-nuclei. The nuclei of the amygdala are reciprocally connected to the hypothalamus, brain stem, hippocampus, thalamus, and neocortex. The BLA receives sensory information from the prefrontal, temporal, insular and occipital cortices and direct cholinergic input from the nucleus basalis. The corticomedial nucleus (CMA) receives inputs from the hippocampus, insula and orbitofrontal cortex. Dysfunctional amygdala may contribute to affective symptoms observed in SZ and major depressive disorder (MDD).