Effect of antipsychotics on pituitary gland volume in treatment-naïve first-episode schizophrenia: A pilot study

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of antipsychotics on pituitary volume in schizophrenic subjects. Pituitary volumes were measured in 16 patients with schizophrenia at baseline and 12 months after treatment with an antipsychotic medication using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A group of 12 healthy controls was evaluated at baseline and after 12 months. Pituitary volume significantly increased in the schizophrenic subjects after treatment (12% increase). This appeared to be specific to the prolactin-elevating drugs. In controls, pituitary volume did not change significantly (3% decrease). Pituitary volume may be a useful biomarker for treatments that affect neuroendocrine function.