Cavum septum pellucidum and first-episode psychosis: A meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence and changes of cavum septum pellucidum (CSP) in first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients. METHODS: Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) were searched to identify eligible studies comparing FEP patients and healthy controls from inception to Feb 29, 2016. RESULTS: Ten cross-sectional studies and three longitudinal studies reported in ten articles met our criteria. Our meta-analysis found no significant differences in the prevalence of either “any CSP” (OR = 1.41; 95% CI 0.90–2.20; p = 0.13; I(2) = 52.7%) or “large CSP” (OR = 1.10; 95% CI 0.77–1.58; p = 0.59; I(2) = 24.1%) between FEP patients and healthy controls. However, the heterogeneity analysis of the prevalence of “any CSP” suggested bias in outcome reporting. CONCLUSIONS: The results based on current evidence suggest it is unclear whether “any CSP” is a risk factor for FEP due to the heterogeneity of the studies. There is insufficient evidence to support that “large CSP” is a possible risk factor for FEP.