Lack of gender influence on cortical and subcortical gray matter development in childhood-onset schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND Progressive cortical gray matter (GM) abnormalities are an established feature of schizophrenia and are more pronounced in rare, severe, and treatment refractory childhood-onset schizophrenia (COS) cases. The effect of sex on brain development in schizophrenia is poorly understood and studies to date have produced inconsistent results. METHODS Using the largest to date longitudinal sample of COS cases (n = 104, scans = 249, Male/Female [M/F] = 57/47), we compared COS sex differences with sex differences in a sample of matched typically developing children (n = 104, scans = 244, M/F = 57/47), to determine whether or not sex had differential effects on cortical and subcortical brain development in COS. RESULTS Our results showed no significant differential sex effects in COS for either GM cortical thickness or subcortical volume development (sex × diagnosis × age interaction; false discovery rate q = 0.05). CONCLUSION Sex appears to play a similar role in cortical and subcortical GM development in COS as it does in normally developing children.