Anatomical classification of septum pellucidum variations and analysis of the co-occurrence of the variations with psychiatric disorders.

Abstract

This study sought to categorize anatomical variations of the septum pellucidum (SP), cavum vergae (CV), and cavum veli interpositi (CVI), as well as to examine potential correlations between these variations and psychiatric disorders. A total of 2949 patients were retrospectively analyzed utilizing brain MRIs. Variations were categorized into nine types according to the coexistence of CSP and CVI in either mild or moderate manifestations. The prevalence of CSP, CV, and CVI in the study population was 7.9%, 1.4%, and 9.0%, respectively, with an overall occurrence of variation at 13.8%. A chi-square test indicated a significant correlation between moderate CSP with mild CVI (Type VIII) and a reduced prevalence of psychiatric disorders (p = .007), implying a possible protective effect. Nevertheless, the majority of SP variations exhibited no statistically significant correlation with psychiatric diagnoses, including schizophrenia, OCD, or bipolar disorder. Logistic regression analysis revealed a significant interaction between gender and SP variations in predicting psychiatric disorders, with females exhibiting a higher overall prevalence. The interaction term was statistically significant (p < .001), suggesting that variations in SP and gender collectively affect the probability of psychiatric disorders. The findings offer valuable insights; however, limitations including the retrospective design, small subgroup sizes, and absence of genetic data necessitate caution in result interpretation. This study enhances comprehension of SP variations and their possible involvement in psychiatric disorders, emphasizing the necessity for additional research to clarify the underlying neurobiological mechanisms and clinical ramifications.