Reply to: New Meta- and Mega-analyses of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings in Schizophrenia: Do They Really Increase Our Knowledge About the Nature of the Disease Process?

In their letter to the editor, Vita and De Peri question whether new meta-analyses and mega-analyses of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in schizophrenia increase our knowledge about the nature of the disease process. In general, meta-analyses and mega-analyses provide objective methods to critically summarize a body of evidence regarding a particular question. As there had been no coordinated meta-analysis of cortical thickness and surface area abnormalities in schizophrenia, it is our view that this new, collaboratively conducted meta-analysis (1) contributes to our knowledge on this question and offers information on the cross-site consistency of observed disease effects. Regional effects on cortical thickness and surface area can be difficult to summarize based on the traditional, literature-based, meta-analysis method, given the heterogeneity of analysis methods used in individual studies.