Association between reduced extraversion and right posterior fusiform gyrus gray matter reduction in chronic schizophrenia

Onitsuka T, Nestor PG, Gurrera RJ, Shenton ME, Kasai K, Frumin M, Niznikiewicz MA, McCarley RW

Am J Psychiatry 2005 Mar;162(3):599-601

PMID: 15741479

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The authors examined the association between volume of the fusiform gyrus, a region involved in face processing, and the personality trait of extraversion in patients with schizophrenia.

METHOD: Male patients (N=24) and age-matched male comparison subjects (N=26) completed NEO Five-Factor Inventory personality measures of extraversion and underwent high-spatial-resolution magnetic resonance imaging of anterior and posterior fusiform gyrus gray matter.

RESULTS: Low extraversion scores were significantly correlated with gray matter volume reductions in the right posterior fusiform gyrus for patients but not comparison subjects.

CONCLUSIONS: Reduced right posterior fusiform gyrus volume may contribute to disease-related social disturbances, characterized by both low extraversion and reduced sensitivity to human faces.