Figure 3. Increased NeuN+ neuronal density in white matter in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

(A) NeuN+ neuronal density (presented as cells/mm², y-axis) in white matter compartments I–V (x-axis) beneath cingulate cortex of controls (N = 45, black), schizophrenia (N = 22, light gray), and bipolar disorder (N = 15, dark gray). Notice decline in NeuN+ neuronal density in white matter > 500 micron apart from overlying cortex (compartments II–V). Also notice higher overall densities in the two disease groups, as compared to controls. (B) Fold-change in NeuN+ neuronal densities in white matter compartments of schizophrenia (black) and bipolar subjects (gray), relative to control cohort. A -2-fold change is equivalent to a 50% decrease. (C) Frequency distribution of NeuN+ cell densities in cingulate white matter of the 3 cohorts, as indicated. Dotted line demarcates second standard deviations above the mean from controls. (D) NeuN+ neuronal density in the superior frontal gyrus white matter of 6 schizophrenia and 6 control subjects; the 6 clinical cases also showed increased NeuN+ density in the cingulate (see Results). (E) NRG+ cell densities, including (F) fold-change from controls, in cingulate cortex and white matter beneath BA33 of schizophrenia and bipolar subjects, as indicated (control N = 26; schizophrenia N = 16; bipolar N = 10). Notice that fold-changes in NRG+ neuronal densities in the clinical cohorts are < 2 from controls.