Pineal gland volume in children with intellectual disability

Objective Pineal gland volume (PGV), which is associated with sleep and circadian rhythm, is known to be changed in some psychiatric disorders such as major depression, mood disorders and schizophrenia. This study aimed to compare the PGV of children with mild and moderate intellectual disability (ID) and healthy children. Methods This multicentre retrospective study included 40 children with ID (patient group), aged 6–12 years and 40 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy children (control group). The children were examined for their sociodemographic characteristics and for PGV using magnetic resonance imaging. Results The PGV of the patient group was significantly larger than that of the controls (p = 0.023). There was no statistically significant difference in PGV between mild and moderate ID. A moderate and positive correlation was found between Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children‐revised (WISC‐R) performance score and PGV (p = 0.049, r = 0.313) only in the patient group. In the receiver operating characteristic analysis, the area under the curve was 0.648, and the sensitivity was 70.0%, and the specificity was 60.0%. Conclusions In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the increased PGV levels were associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and PGV could be a risk factor in the aetiology of ID. Further research with larger sample sizes is needed to clarify this issue. Objective: The pineal gland volume (PGV) is linked to sleep and circadian rhythms, and it has been observed to change in psychiatric disorders such as depression, mood disorders and schizophrenia. This study aimed to compare the PGV of children with mild and moderate intellectual disability (ID) and healthy controls. Methods Study Type: Multicentre, retrospective study. Participants: 40 children with ID (patient group) and 40 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy children (control group). Measurement: PGV was assessed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Results PGV Comparison: The PGV of the patient group was significantly larger than that of the control group (p = 0.023). Correlation: A moderate positive correlation between WISC‐R performance scores and PGV was found in the patient group (p = 0.049, r = 0.313). No Difference: There was no significant difference in PGV between children with mild and moderate ID. ROC Analysis: ○ Area under the curve (AUC): 0.648. ○ Sensitivity: 70.0%, specificity: 60.0%. Conclusion:The study demonstrated that children with ID have larger PGV compared to heal