Amygdala, hippocampus, anterior cingulate cortex volumes and relationship with clinical variables in patients with delusional disorder

Delusional disorder is a psychotic disorder characterized by delusions, disorganized thoughts and behaviors.The aim of this study was to evaluate brain total volume, white matter volume, gray matter volume, hippocampus volume, amygdala volume, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) volume in patients with delusional disorder by brain imaging modalities. The study consisted of 18 patients and 18 control groups who were admitted to Fırat University Hospital Psychiatry inpatient and outpatient clinics and diagnosed as delusional disorder according to DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria.Volumetric measurements of the insula were performed in the patient and control groups using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The mean amygdala volume of patients with delusional disorder was significantly lower than the mean amygdala volume of the control group. The mean hippocampus volume of patients with delusional disorder was higher than the mean hippocampus volume of the control group. But this difference was not statistically significant. The mean ACC volume of patients with delusional disorder was higher than the mean ACC volume of the control group. However, this difference was statistically significant in the left ACC, but not in the right. As a result, there are volume changes in gray matter in delusional disorder and it may be suggested to support this outcome in prospective studies in larger sample size groups. Keywords: Delusional Disorder, Amygdala, Hippocampus, Anterior Cingulate Cortex