![Enlarged_lateral_ventricles_in_schizophrenia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Enlarged_lateral_ventricles_in_schizophrenia.png)
Ventricular-brain ratio (VBR), also known as the ventricle-to-brain ratio or ventricle-brain ratio, is the ratio of total
ventricle area to total brain area,
which can be calculated with
planimetry from brain imagining techniques such as
CT scans.
[ (). . ]
It is a common measure of ventricular dilation or cerebral atrophy in patients with
traumatic brain injury
A traumatic brain injury (TBI), also known as an intracranial injury, is an injury to the brain caused by an external force. TBI can be classified based on severity (ranging from mild traumatic brain injury TBI/concussionto severe traumatic br ...
or
hydrocephalus
Hydrocephalus is a condition in which an accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) occurs within the brain. This typically causes increased pressure inside the skull. Older people may have headaches, double vision, poor balance, urinary inc ...
''ex vacuo''.
VBR also tends to increase with age.
Generally, a higher VBR means a worse prognosis for recovering from a brain injury.
For example, VBR is significantly correlated with performance on the
Luria-Nebraska neuropsychological battery.
Studies have found people with
schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social wit ...
have larger
third ventricle
The third ventricle is one of the four connected ventricles of the ventricular system within the mammalian brain. It is a slit-like cavity formed in the diencephalon between the two thalami, in the midline between the right and left lateral ...
s and VBR.
Correlational studies have found relationships between ventricle-brain ratio and
binge eating
Binge eating is a pattern of disordered eating which consists of episodes of uncontrollable eating. It is a common symptom of eating disorders such as binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa. During such binges, a person rapidly consumes an ex ...
and inversely with
plasma thyroid hormone concentration.
See also
*
Sarnoff A. Mednick
*
Ventriculomegaly
Ventriculomegaly is a brain condition that mainly occurs in the fetus when the lateral ventricles become dilated. The most common definition uses a width of the atrium of the lateral ventricle of greater than 10 mm. This occurs in around 1 ...
References
Behavioral neuroscience
{{Psychology stub