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Velu L, Pellerin L, Julian A, Paccalin M, Giraud C, Fayolle P, Guillevin R, Guillevin C. Early rise of glutamate-glutamine levels in mild cognitive impairment: Evidence for emerging excitotoxicity. J Neuroradiol 2024; 51:168-175. [PMID: 37777087 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurad.2023.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Use proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) non invasive technique to assess the modifications of glutamate-glutamine (Glx) and gammaaminobutyric acid (GABA) brain levels in patients reporting a cognitive complain METHODS: Posterior cingular cortex 1H-MRS spectra of 46 patients (19 male, 27 female) aged 57 to 87 years (mean : 73.32 ± 7.33 years) with a cognitive complaint were examined with a MEGA PRESS sequence at 3T, and compounds Glutamateglutamine (Glx), GABA, Creatine (Cr) and NAA were measured. From this data the metabolite ratios Glx/Cr, GABA/Cr and NAA/Cr were calculated. In addition, all patient performed the Mini Mental State Evaluation (MMSE) and 2 groups were realized with the clinical threshold of 24. RESULTS 16 patients with MMSE 〈 24 and 30 patients with MMSE 〉 24. Significant increase of Glx/Cr in PCC of patients with MMSE 〈 24 compared to patients with MMSE 〉 24. Moreover, GABA/Cr ratio exhibited a trend for a decrease in PCC between the two groups, while they showed a significant decrease NAA/Cr ratio. CONCLUSION Our results concerning Glx are in agreement with a physiopathological hypothesis involving a biphasic variation of glutamate levels associated with excitotoxicity, correlated with the clinical evolution of the disease. These observations suggest that MRS assessment of glutamate levels could be helpful for both diagnosis and classification of cognitive impairment in stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Velu
- University Hospital center of Poitiers, Department of Imaging, France
| | - Luc Pellerin
- University of Poitiers and University Hospital center of Poitiers, France
| | - Adrien Julian
- University Hospital Center of Poitiers, Department of neurology, France
| | - Marc Paccalin
- University Hospital Center of Poitiers, Department of neurology, France
| | - Clément Giraud
- University Hospital center of Poitiers, Department of Imaging, France
| | - Pierre Fayolle
- University Hospital center of Poitiers, Department of Imaging, France
| | - Rémy Guillevin
- University Hospital center of Poitiers, Department of Imaging, France
| | - Carole Guillevin
- University Hospital center of Poitiers, Department of Imaging, France.
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Unal GA, Kenar ANI. Association of Age and Response to Methylphenidate HCL Treatment in Adult ADHD: A Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Study. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2024; 20:317-324. [PMID: 38405424 PMCID: PMC10893786 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s442655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose This study investigated the age-dependent effects of methylphenidate (MPH) on brain metabolites including choline (Cho), N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) and creatine (Cr) levels in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), striatum, cerebellum, and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) regions of the brain in adult patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Patients and Methods The study was included 60 patients with ADHD between the ages of 18 and 60 years. The patients were grouped with respect to their ages as follows: 18-24 years, 25-30 years, and 31 and over years. Levels of NAA, Cr and Cho in DLPFC, ACC, cerebellum and striatum were measured with magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Subjects were then given 10 mg of oral MPH and the same metabolite levels were measured 30 minutes apart. Results Twelve (20%) of the cases were female and 48 (80%) were male. The age distribution of the cases is as follows: 15 subjects between the ages of 18-24, 26 subjects between the ages of 25-30 and 19 subjects over the age of 30. NAA levels were higher after MPH in the DLPFC of the 18-24 age group (p = 0.016) and in the cerebellum of the 25-30 age group (p = 0.041). No increase in Cho and Cr levels was observed after treatment compared to before (p > 0.05). Conclusion It is thought that treatment of MPH can be effective on metabolites in different brain regions and this effect can vary upon age adult ADHD patients. After MPH treatment, both the 18-24 age group (in the DLPFC) and the 25-30 age group (in the cerebellum) was detected significantly higher NAA levels compared to pre-treatment levels. This increase in NAA levels suggested that pharmacotherapy, especially at early ages, may be effective on neuronal damage.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ayse Nur Inci Kenar
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey
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3
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Magnetic resonance spectroscopic evidence of increased choline in the dorsolateral prefrontal and visual cortices in recent onset schizophrenia. Neurosci Lett 2022; 770:136410. [PMID: 34933057 PMCID: PMC9332487 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.136410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
A complete characterization of neurometabolite profiles in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in recent onset schizophrenia (SZ) remains elusive. Filling in this knowledge gap is essential in order to better understand how the neurochemistry of this region contributes to SZ pathology. To that end, DLPFC N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), myo-inositol, glutamate, choline, and creatine levels were examined by 3 T magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in recent onset individuals with SZ (n = 40) and healthy controls (HC) (n = 47). Metabolite levels were also examined in the visual cortex (VC) as a control region. People with SZ showed significantly higher choline in both the DLPFC and VC, but no differences in NAA, myo-inositol, glutamate, or creatine in either region. A trend-level negative correlation was also observed between DLPFC NAA and negative symptoms in SZ. Our results suggest that choline is increased in both the prefrontal and occipital cortices in recent onset SZ, and that DLPFC NAA levels may be inversely related to negative symptoms in the illness. The observed increase in choline-containing compounds in both DLPFC and VC in recent onset SZ could reflect increased membrane remodeling such as occurs in activated microglia and astrocytes in response to neuroinflammation.
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Smesny S, Berberich D, Gussew A, Schönfeld N, Langbein K, Walther M, Reichenbach JR. Alterations of neurometabolism in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and thalamus in transition to psychosis patients change under treatment as usual - A two years follow-up 1H/ 31P-MR-spectroscopy study. Schizophr Res 2021; 228:7-18. [PMID: 33429152 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2020.11.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2019] [Revised: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ultra-high risk (UHR) paradigm allows early contact with patients developing acute psychosis and the study of treatment effects on the underlying pathology. METHODS 29 patients with first acute psychosis according to CAARMS criteria (transition patients, TP) (T0) and thereof 22 patients after two-year follow-up (mean 788 d) (T1) underwent 1H-/31P-MR spectroscopy of the prefrontal (DLPFC) and anterior midcingulate (aMCC) cortices and the thalamus. N-acetylaspartate (NAA), glutamate (Glu, Glx), energy (PCr, ATP) and phospholipid metabolites (PME, PDE) were compared to 27 healthy controls by ANCOVA and correlated with patients' symptom ratings (BPRS-E, SCL-90R). For longitudinal analysis, linear mixed model (LMM) and ANCOVA for repeated measures were used. RESULTS DLPFC: In patients, NAA and PME were decreased bilaterally and Glu on the left side at T0. Left-sided Glu and NAA (trend) and bilateral Glx increased during follow-up. Thalamus: In TP, bilateral NAA, left-sided Glu and right-sided Glx were decreased at T0; bilateral NAA and left-sided Glx increased during follow-up. aMCC: In TP, bilateral NAA, right-sided Glu, and bilateral PME and PDE were decreased, while left-sided PCr was increased at T0. No changes were observed during follow-up. CONCLUSION Regardless of the long-term diagnosis, the psychotic state of illness includes disturbed neuronal function in the DLPFC, thalamus and aMCC. Treatment-as-usual (TAU), including antipsychotic/antidepressant medication and supportive psychotherapy, had an effect on the thalamo-frontal area but not or less pronounced on the neurometabolic deficits of the aMCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Smesny
- Department of Psychiatry, Jena University Hospital, Philosophenweg 3, D-07743 Jena, Germany.
| | - Diana Berberich
- Department of Psychiatry, Jena University Hospital, Philosophenweg 3, D-07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Alexander Gussew
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital Halle (Saale), Ernst-Grube-Str. 40, D-06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Nils Schönfeld
- Department of Psychiatry, Jena University Hospital, Philosophenweg 3, D-07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Kerstin Langbein
- Department of Psychiatry, Jena University Hospital, Philosophenweg 3, D-07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Mario Walther
- Jena University of Applied Sciences, Department of Fundamental Sciences, Carl-Zeiss-Promenade 2, D-07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Jürgen R Reichenbach
- Medical Physics Group, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Jena University Hospital, Philosophenweg 3, D-07740 Jena, Germany
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Molina V, Sánchez J, Sanz J, Reig S, Benito C, Leal I, Sarramea F, Rebolledo R, Palomo T, Desco M. Dorsolateral prefrontal N-acetyl-aspartate concentration in male patients with chronic schizophrenia and with chronic bipolar disorder. Eur Psychiatry 2020; 22:505-12. [PMID: 17904824 DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2007.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2007] [Revised: 07/18/2007] [Accepted: 07/24/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractObjectivesA study of N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) can provide data of interest about cortical alterations in psychotic illnesses. Although a decreased NAA level in the cerebral cortex is a replicated finding in chronic schizophrenia, the data are less consistent for bipolar disease. On the other hand, it is likely that NAA values in schizophrenia may differ in men and women.MethodsWe used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) to examine NAA levels in the prefrontal cortex in two groups of male patients, one with schizophrenia (n = 11) and the other with bipolar disorder (n = 13) of similar duration, and compared them to a sample of healthy control males (n = 10). Additionally, we compared the degree of structural deviations from normal volumes of gray matter (GM) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.ResultsCompared to controls, schizophrenia and bipolar patients presented decreased NAA to creatine ratios, while only the schizophrenia group showed an increase in CSF in the dorsolateral prefrontal region. There were no differences in choline to creatine ratios among the groups.ConclusionsThese data suggest that the decrease in NAA in the prefrontal region may be similar in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, at least in the chronic state. However, cortical CSF may be markedly increased in schizophrenia patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Molina
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Clínico Universitario, Paseo de San Vicente 58-182, E-37007 Salamanca, Spain.
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Kraguljac NV, Morgan CJ, Reid MA, White DM, Jindal RD, Sivaraman S, Martinak BK, Lahti AC. A longitudinal magnetic resonance spectroscopy study investigating effects of risperidone in the anterior cingulate cortex and hippocampus in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2019; 210:239-244. [PMID: 30630705 PMCID: PMC7881837 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2018.12.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy is a popular approach to probe brain chemistry in schizophrenia (SZ), but no consensus exists as to the extent of alterations. This may be attributable to differential effects of populations studied, brain regions examined, or antipsychotic medication effects. Here, we measured neurometabolites in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and hippocampus, two structurally dissimilar brain regions implicated in the SZ pathophysiology. We enrolled 61 SZ with the goal to scan them before and after six weeks of treatment with risperidone. We also scanned 31 matched healthy controls twice, six weeks apart. Using mixed effect repeated measures linear models to examine the effect of group and time on metabolite levels in each voxel, we report an increase in hippocampal glutamate + glutamine (Glx) in SZ compared to controls (p = 0.043), but no effect of antipsychotic medication (p = 0.330). In the ACC, we did not find metabolite alterations or antipsychotic medication related changes after six weeks of treatment with risperidone. The coefficients for the discriminant function (differentiating SZ from HC) in the ACC were greatest for NAA (-0.83), and in the hippocampus for Glx (0.76), the same metabolites were associated with greater treatment response in patients at trend level. Taken together, our data extends the existing literature by demonstrating regionally distinct metabolite alterations in the same patient group and suggests that antipsychotic medications may have limited effects on metabolite levels in these regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina V. Kraguljac
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham
| | | | - Meredith A. Reid
- MRI Research Center, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Auburn University
| | - David M. White
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham
| | - Ripu D. Jindal
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham,Department of Neurology, Birmingham VA Medical Center
| | - Soumya Sivaraman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham
| | - Bridgette K. Martinak
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham
| | - Adrienne C. Lahti
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham
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Xiang Q, Xu J, Wang Y, Chen T, Wang J, Zhuo K, Guo X, Zeljic K, Li W, Sun Y, Wang Z, Li Y, Liu D. Modular Functional-Metabolic Coupling Alterations of Frontoparietal Network in Schizophrenia Patients. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:40. [PMID: 30787862 PMCID: PMC6372554 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Brain functional dysconnectivity, as well as altered network organization, have been demonstrated to occur in schizophrenia. Brain networks are increasingly understood to exhibit modular community structures, which provides advantages in robustness and functional adaptivity. The frontoparietal network (FPN) serves as an important functional module, and metabolic and functional alterations in the FPN are associated with the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. However, how intra-modular biochemical disruptions lead to inter-modular dysfunction of the FPN, remains unclear. In this study, we aim to investigate alterations in the modular functional-metabolic coupling of the FPN, in patients with schizophrenia. Methods: We combined resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) technology and acquired multimodal neuroimaging data in 20 patients with schizophrenia and 26 healthy controls. For the MRS, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) region within the FPN was explored. Metabolites including gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), N-aspart-acetyl (NAA) and glutamate + glutamine (Glx) were quantified, using LCModel software. A graph theoretical approach was applied for functional modular parcellation. The relationship between inter/intra-modular connectivity and metabolic concentration was examined using the Pearson correlation analysis. Moreover, correlations with schizophrenia symptomatology were investigated by the Spearman correlation analysis. Results: The functional topological network consisted of six modules in both subject groups, namely, the default mode, frontoparietal, central, hippocampus, occipital, and subcortical modules. Inter-modular connectivity between the frontoparietal and central modules, and the frontoparietal and the hippocampus modules was decreased in the patient group compared to the healthy controls, while the connectivity within the frontoparietal modular increased in the patient group. Moreover, a positive correlation between the frontoparietal and central module functional connectivity and the NAA in the DLPFC was found in the healthy control group (r = 0.614, p = 0.001), but not in the patient group. Significant functional dysconnectivity between the frontoparietal and limbic modules was correlated with the clinical symptoms of patients. Conclusions: This study examined the links between functional connectivity and the neuronal metabolic level in the DLPFC of SCZ. Impaired functional connectivity of the frontoparietal areas in SCZ, may be partially explained by a neurochemical-functional connectivity decoupling effect. This disconnection pattern can further provide useful insights in the cognitive and perceptual impairments of schizophrenia in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiong Xiang
- First-Episode Schizophrenia and Early Psychosis Program, Division of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiale Xu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,Institute for Medical Imaging Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yingchan Wang
- First-Episode Schizophrenia and Early Psychosis Program, Division of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Tianyi Chen
- Shanghai Hong Kou Mental Health Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Jinhong Wang
- Department of Medical Imaging, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Kaiming Zhuo
- First-Episode Schizophrenia and Early Psychosis Program, Division of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoyun Guo
- First-Episode Schizophrenia and Early Psychosis Program, Division of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Kristina Zeljic
- State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Neuroscience, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wenli Li
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,Institute for Medical Imaging Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Sun
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zheng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Neuroscience, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yao Li
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,Institute for Medical Imaging Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Dengtang Liu
- First-Episode Schizophrenia and Early Psychosis Program, Division of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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8
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Galińska-Skok B, Szulc A, Małus A, Konarzewska B, Cwalina U, Tarasów E, Waszkiewicz N. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy changes in a longitudinal schizophrenia study: a pilot study in eleven patients. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2019; 15:839-847. [PMID: 31040683 PMCID: PMC6459157 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s196932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Investigation of the longitudinal effect of schizophrenia on changes in various brain-metabolite levels and their relationships with cognitive deficits that have not been fully explained yet. METHODS Five years subsequent to their first examination for their first episode of schizophrenia, eleven patients from an original group of 30 were reexamined. Their cognitive functions were assessed with the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Magnetic resonance imaging and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy were performed on a 1.5 T scanner. Voxels of 8 cm3 were positioned in the left frontal lobe, left temporal lobe, and the left thalamus. The study had a naturalistic design, and patients were treated with various antipsychotics. RESULTS No significant statistical differences between the baseline and follow-up in N-acetylaspartate (NAA:creatine plus phosphocreatine [Cr] and NAA/H2O) levels were observed in any region of interest. We found a significant statistical correlation between 5-year difference in frontal NAA/Cr levels and duration of the last antipsychotic treatment in this period (R=0.908, P=0.012). We found a trend (P=0.068) toward lower choline-containing compounds (Cho/Cr ratio) in the temporal lobe over 5 years and a trend (P=0.079) in higher glutamate-glutamine- GABA (Glx/H2O) levels in the left thalamus. The patients showed social and clinical improvement at follow-up examination, and there were no changes in Wisconsin Card Sorting Test results. CONCLUSION The observed tendency toward decline in choline ratio might have been due to decreased temporal cell density or impaired neuron-membrane or myelin functions. A tendency for higher Glx levels suggest the involvement of thalamus dysfunction in the chronic schizophrenia process. The lack of NAA decrease might have been due to effective antipsychotic treatment. Further longitudinal studies on large patient groups are required to confirm these metabolic changes in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beata Galińska-Skok
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Białystok, Choroszcz, Poland,
| | - Agata Szulc
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, Pruszków, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Małus
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Białystok, Choroszcz, Poland,
| | - Beata Konarzewska
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Białystok, Choroszcz, Poland,
| | - Urszula Cwalina
- Department of Statistics and Medical Informatics, Medical University of Białystok, Białystok, Poland
| | - Eugeniusz Tarasów
- Department of Radiology, Medical University of Białystok, Białystok, Poland
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Tarcijonas G, Sarpal DK. Neuroimaging markers of antipsychotic treatment response in schizophrenia: An overview of magnetic resonance imaging studies. Neurobiol Dis 2018; 131:104209. [PMID: 29953933 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2018.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Revised: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 06/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Antipsychotic drugs are the primary treatment for psychosis, yet individual response to their administration remains variable. At present, no biological predictors of response exist to guide clinicians as they select treatments for patients, and our understanding of the neurobiology underlying the heterogeneity of outcomes remains limited. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has been applied by numerous studies to examine the response to antipsychotic treatment, though a large gap remains between their results and our clinical practice. To advance patient care with precision medicine approaches, prior work must be accounted for and built upon with future studies. This review provides an overview of studies that relate treatment outcome to various MRI-related measures, including structural, spectroscopic, diffusion tensor, and functional imaging. Knowledge derived from these studies will be discussed along with future directions for the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Goda Tarcijonas
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Deepak K Sarpal
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.
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10
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Huang M, Guo W, Lu S, Pan F, Chen J, Hu J, Hu S, Xu W, Shang D, Xu Y. The relationship between the alterations in metabolite levels in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and clinical symptoms of patients with first-episode schizophrenia: a one year follow-up study. Oncotarget 2018; 10:606-615. [PMID: 30728911 PMCID: PMC6355173 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.23983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Reduced brain metabolites such as N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA), glutamate (Glx), Choline (Cho) and myo-inositol (MI) have been repeatedly found in first-episode schizophrenia (FES) and suggest neuronal loss or dysfunction. However, the potential relationship between the metabolite level and the clinical symptoms or the recovery of FES remained unclear. Objectives This study aimed to investigate the correlation between the alterations in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) metabolite levels of patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FES) and the changes in clinical symptoms after one year treatment. Materials and Methods FES patients underwent 1H-MRS scan twice: one time at the baseline and the other one year later, while the healthy group patients underwent only once at the baseline time. The symptom severity of patients was measured by PANSS. Principal Observations An increase in the NAA/Cr level was detected in the left DLPFC of patients with FES. The change in the NAA/Cr level was significantly correlated with the alteration in their PANSS-P score. The Cho/Cr levels on both sides of DLPFC in patients with FES were lower compared with the healthy controls both at the baseline and after the treatment. The NAA/Cr and MI/Cr levels in the right DLPFC were decreased after the treatment. Conclusions (1) the depletion of NAA in left DLPFC might be a state characteristic; (2) the Cho/Cr level might be the potential endophenotype of schizophrenia; (3) the decrease of NAA/Cr and MI/Cr level in right DLPFC might be due to the development of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manli Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Wuqiu Guo
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, China
| | - Shaojia Lu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Fen Pan
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Jinkai Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Jianbo Hu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Shaohua Hu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Weijuan Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Desheng Shang
- Department of Radiology, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Yi Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
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Abstract
BackgroundNeurobiological studies of the early course of psychoses, such as schizophrenia, allow investigation of pathophysiology without the confounds of illness chronicity and treatment.AimsTo review the recent literature on the biology of the early course of psychoses.MethodWe carried out a critical appraisal of the recent findings in the neurobiology of early psychoses, using structural, functional and neurochemical imaging techniques.ResultsBrain structural alterations are present early in the illness and may predate symptom onset. Some changes, notably those in frontal and temporal lobes, can progress during the early phases of the illness. Functional and neurochemical brain abnormalities can also be seen in the premorbid and the early phases of the illness. Some, although not all, changes can be trait-like whereas some others might progress during the early years.ConclusionsA better understanding of such changes, especially during the critical periods of the prodrome, around the transition to the psychotic phase and during the early phases of the illness is crucial for continued research into preventive intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matcheri S Keshavan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, UCH 9B, 4201 St Antoine Boulevard, Detroit, MI, USA.
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Hatchondo L, Jaafari N, Langbour N, Maillochaud S, Herpe G, Guillevin R, Guillevin C. 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy suggests neural membrane alteration in specific regions involved in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2017; 269:48-53. [PMID: 28938221 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2017.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2017] [Revised: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Hatchondo
- University Hospital of Poitiers, 2 rue de la Milétrie, 86021 Poitiers, France; Clinical Research Unit of Psychiatry - Henri Laborit Hospital, Poitiers, France; DACTIM-MIS team LMA/ CNRS 7348, Poitiers University, France.
| | - Nematollah Jaafari
- Clinical Research Unit of Psychiatry - Henri Laborit Hospital, Poitiers, France.
| | - Nicolas Langbour
- Clinical Research Unit of Psychiatry - Henri Laborit Hospital, Poitiers, France.
| | - Sylvie Maillochaud
- Clinical Research Unit of Psychiatry - Henri Laborit Hospital, Poitiers, France.
| | - Guillaume Herpe
- University Hospital of Poitiers, 2 rue de la Milétrie, 86021 Poitiers, France; Department of Medical Imaging - University Hospital of Poitiers, France; DACTIM-MIS team LMA/ CNRS 7348, Poitiers University, France.
| | - Rémy Guillevin
- University Hospital of Poitiers, 2 rue de la Milétrie, 86021 Poitiers, France; Department of Medical Imaging - University Hospital of Poitiers, France; DACTIM-MIS team LMA/ CNRS 7348, Poitiers University, France.
| | - Carole Guillevin
- University Hospital of Poitiers, 2 rue de la Milétrie, 86021 Poitiers, France; Department of Medical Imaging - University Hospital of Poitiers, France; DACTIM-MIS team LMA/ CNRS 7348, Poitiers University, France.
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13
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De Rossi P, Chiapponi C, Spalletta G. Brain Functional Effects of Psychopharmacological Treatments in Schizophrenia: A Network-based Functional Perspective Beyond Neurotransmitter Systems. Curr Neuropharmacol 2016; 13:435-44. [PMID: 26412063 PMCID: PMC4790396 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x13666150507223542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychopharmacological treatments for schizophrenia have always been a matter of debate and a very important issue in public health given the chronic, relapsing and disabling nature of the disorder. A thorough understanding of the pros and cons of currently available pharmacological treatments for schizophrenia is critical to better capture the features of treatment-refractory clinical pictures and plan the developing of new treatment strategies. This review focuses on brain functional changes induced by antipsychotic drugs as assessed by modern functional neuroimaging techniques (i.e. fMRI, PET, SPECT, MRI spectroscopy). The most important papers on this topic are reviewed in order to draw an ideal map of the main functional changes occurring in the brain during antipsychotic treatment. This supports the hypothesis that a network-based perspective and a functional connectivity approach are needed to fill the currently existing gap of knowledge in the field of psychotropic drugs and their mechanisms of action beyond neurotransmitter systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Gianfranco Spalletta
- Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, Department of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Via Ardeatina, 306, 00179 Rome, Italy.
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14
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Liemburg E, Sibeijn-Kuiper A, Bais L, Pijnenborg G, Knegtering H, van der Velde J, Opmeer E, de Vos A, Dlabac-De Lange J, Wunderink L, Aleman A. Prefrontal NAA and Glx Levels in Different Stages of Psychotic Disorders: a 3T 1H-MRS Study. Sci Rep 2016; 6:21873. [PMID: 26903078 PMCID: PMC4763193 DOI: 10.1038/srep21873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2015] [Accepted: 02/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
H-Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) can offer insights in various neuropathologies by measuring metabolite levels in the brain. In the current study we investigated the levels of glutamate + glutamine (Glx, neurotransmitter and precursor) and N-Acetyl Aspartate + glutamic acid (NAA + NAAG; neuronal viability) in the prefrontal cortex of patients with a psychotic disorder and people at Ultra High Risk (UHR) for psychosis. A (1)H-MRS spectrum was acquired in 31 patients with a recent onset psychotic disorder and 60 with a chronic state, 16 UHR patients and 36 healthy controls. Absolute metabolite levels were calculated using LCModel with a reference water peak. Groups were compared while taking into account age and partial volume effects. Moreover, we investigated associations with positive and negative symptoms, duration of illness, and antipsychotic treatment in patients. The most notable finding is that chronicity of schizophrenia was related to decreased levels of Glx and NAA. On the other hand, although on an exploratory note, UHR showed increased levels of prefrontal Glx and NAA levels with increasing age. Our results may indicate an initial Glx and NAA increase and subsequent decrease during illness progression that may be related to the neurotoxic effects of glutamate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edith Liemburg
- Department of Neuroscience, and BCN Neuroimaging Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
- Rob Giel Research Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
- Lentis Research, Center for Mental Health, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Anita Sibeijn-Kuiper
- Department of Neuroscience, and BCN Neuroimaging Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Leonie Bais
- Department of Neuroscience, and BCN Neuroimaging Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
- Lentis Research, Center for Mental Health, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Gerdina Pijnenborg
- Department of Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Henderikus Knegtering
- Department of Neuroscience, and BCN Neuroimaging Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
- Rob Giel Research Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
- Lentis Research, Center for Mental Health, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Jorien van der Velde
- Department of Neuroscience, and BCN Neuroimaging Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Esther Opmeer
- Department of Neuroscience, and BCN Neuroimaging Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Annerieke de Vos
- Department of Neuroscience, and BCN Neuroimaging Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Jozarni Dlabac-De Lange
- Department of Neuroscience, and BCN Neuroimaging Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Lex Wunderink
- Rob Giel Research Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
- Department of Education and Research, Friesland Mental Health Care Services, Leeuwarden, the Netherlands
| | - André Aleman
- Department of Neuroscience, and BCN Neuroimaging Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
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15
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Ratai EM, Gilberto González R. Clinical magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the central nervous system. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2016; 135:93-116. [PMID: 27432661 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-53485-9.00005-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) is a noninvasive imaging technique that can easily be added to the conventional magnetic resonance (MR) imaging sequences. Using MRS one can directly compare spectra from pathologic or abnormal tissue and normal tissue. Metabolic changes arising from pathology that can be visualized by MRS may not be apparent from anatomy that can be visualized by conventional MR imaging. In addition, metabolic changes may precede anatomic changes. Thus, MRS is used for diagnostics, to observe disease progression, monitor therapeutic treatments, and to understand the pathogenesis of diseases. MRS may have an important impact on patient management. The purpose of this chapter is to provide practical guidance in the clinical application of MRS of the brain. This chapter provides an overview of MRS-detectable metabolites and their significance. In addition some specific current clinical applications of MRS will be discussed, including brain tumors, inborn errors of metabolism, leukodystrophies, ischemia, epilepsy, and neurodegenerative diseases. The chapter concludes with technical considerations and challenges of clinical MRS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva-Maria Ratai
- Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - R Gilberto González
- Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Boston, MA, USA
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16
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KIRTAŞ D, KARADAĞ RF, BALCI ŞENGÜL MC, KIROĞLU Y. 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy in first episode and chronic schizophrenia patients. Turk J Med Sci 2016; 46:862-71. [DOI: 10.3906/sag-1502-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2015] [Accepted: 08/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
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17
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Coughlin JM, Tanaka T, Marsman A, Wang H, Bonekamp S, Kim PK, Higgs C, Varvaris M, Edden RAE, Pomper M, Schretlen D, Barker PB, Sawa A. Decoupling of N-acetyl-aspartate and glutamate within the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia. Curr Mol Med 2015; 15:176-83. [PMID: 25732147 DOI: 10.2174/1566524015666150303104811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2014] [Revised: 12/20/2014] [Accepted: 01/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Aberrant function of glutamatergic pathways is likely to underlie the pathology of schizophrenia. Evidence of oxidative stress in the disease pathology has also been reported. N-Acetylaspartate (NAA) is metabolically linked to both cascades and may be a key marker in exploring the interconnection of glutamatergic pathways and oxidative stress. Several studies have reported positive correlation between the levels of NAA and Glx (the sum of glutamate and glutamine) in several brain regions in healthy subjects, by using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ([(1)H]MRS). Interestingly, one research group recently reported decoupling of the relationship between NAA and Glx in the hippocampus of patients with schizophrenia. Here we report levels of NAA and Glx measured using [(1)H]MRS, relative to the level of creatine (Cr) as an internal control. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in 25 patients with schizophrenia and 17 matched healthy controls were studied. In DLPFC, NAA/Cr and Glx/Cr were significantly positively correlated in healthy controls after correction for the effect of age and smoking status and after correction for multiple comparisons (r= 0.627, P= 0.017). However, in patients with schizophrenia, the positive correlation between NAA/Cr and Glx/Cr was not observed even after correcting for these two variables (r= -0.330, P= 0.124). Positive correlation between NAA/Cr and Glx/Cr was not observed in the ACC in both groups. Decoupling of NAA and Glx in the DLPFC may reflect the interconnection of glutamatergic pathways and oxidative stress in the pathology of schizophrenia, and may possibly be a biomarker of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - A Sawa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Hopkins Medical Institutions, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Meyer 3-166A, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
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18
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Comparison of Metabolite Concentrations in the Left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex, the Left Frontal White Matter, and the Left Hippocampus in Patients in Stable Schizophrenia Treated with Antipsychotics with or without Antidepressants. ¹H-NMR Spectroscopy Study. Int J Mol Sci 2015; 16:24387-402. [PMID: 26501256 PMCID: PMC4632756 DOI: 10.3390/ijms161024387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2015] [Revised: 09/15/2015] [Accepted: 09/15/2015] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Managing affective, negative, and cognitive symptoms remains the most difficult therapeutic problem in stable phase of schizophrenia. Efforts include administration of antidepressants. Drugs effects on brain metabolic parameters can be evaluated by means of proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR) spectroscopy. We compared spectroscopic parameters in the left prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), the left frontal white matter (WM) and the left hippocampus and assessed the relationship between treatment and the spectroscopic parameters in both groups. We recruited 25 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (DSM-IV-TR), with dominant negative symptoms and in stable clinical condition, who were treated with antipsychotic and antidepressive medication for minimum of three months. A group of 25 patients with schizophrenia, who were taking antipsychotic drugs but not antidepressants, was matched. We compared metabolic parameters (N-acetylaspartate (NAA), myo-inositol (mI), glutamatergic parameters (Glx), choline (Cho), and creatine (Cr)) between the two groups. All patients were also assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS). In patients receiving antidepressants we observed significantly higher NAA/Cr and NAA/Cho ratios within the DLPFC, as well as significantly higher mI/Cr within the frontal WM. Moreover, we noted significantly lower values of parameters associated with the glutamatergic transmission--Glx/Cr and Glx/Cho in the hippocampus. Doses of antipsychotic drugs in the group treated with antidepressants were also significantly lower in the patients showing similar severity of psychopathology.
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19
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Strzelecki D, Podgórski M, Kałużyńska O, Stefańczyk L, Kotlicka-Antczak M, Gmitrowicz A, Grzelak P. Adding Sarcosine to Antipsychotic Treatment in Patients with Stable Schizophrenia Changes the Concentrations of Neuronal and Glial Metabolites in the Left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex. Int J Mol Sci 2015; 16:24475-89. [PMID: 26501260 PMCID: PMC4632760 DOI: 10.3390/ijms161024475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2015] [Revised: 08/17/2015] [Accepted: 08/18/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The glutamatergic system is a key point in pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Sarcosine (N-methylglycine) is an exogenous amino acid that acts as a glycine transporter inhibitor. It modulates glutamatergic transmission by increasing glycine concentration around NMDA (N-methyl-d-aspartate) receptors. In patients with schizophrenia, the function of the glutamatergic system in the prefrontal cortex is impaired, which may promote negative and cognitive symptoms. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR) spectroscopy is a non-invasive imaging method enabling the evaluation of brain metabolite concentration, which can be applied to assess pharmacologically induced changes. The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of a six-month course of sarcosine therapy on the concentration of metabolites (NAA, N-acetylaspartate; Glx, complex of glutamate, glutamine and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA); mI, myo-inositol; Cr, creatine; Cho, choline) in the left dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in patients with stable schizophrenia. Fifty patients with schizophrenia, treated with constant antipsychotics doses, in stable clinical condition were randomly assigned to administration of sarcosine (25 patients) or placebo (25 patients) for six months. Metabolite concentrations in DLPFC were assessed with 1.5 Tesla ¹H-NMR spectroscopy. Clinical symptoms were evaluated with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). The first spectroscopy revealed no differences in metabolite concentrations between groups. After six months, NAA/Cho, mI/Cr and mI/Cho ratios in the left DLPFC were significantly higher in the sarcosine than the placebo group. In the sarcosine group, NAA/Cr, NAA/Cho, mI/Cr, mI/Cho ratios also significantly increased compared to baseline values. In the placebo group, only the NAA/Cr ratio increased. The addition of sarcosine to antipsychotic therapy for six months increased markers of neurons viability (NAA) and neurogilal activity (mI) with simultaneous improvement of clinical symptoms. Sarcosine, two grams administered daily, seems to be an effective adjuvant in the pharmacotherapy of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Strzelecki
- Department of Affective and Psychotic Disorders, Medical University of Łódź, Central Clinical Hospital, Łódź 92-213, Poland.
| | - Michał Podgórski
- Department of Radiology-Diagnostic Imaging, Medical University of Łódź, Barlicki University Hospital No. 1, Łódź 90-153, Poland.
| | - Olga Kałużyńska
- Department of Affective and Psychotic Disorders, Medical University of Łódź, Central Clinical Hospital, Łódź 92-213, Poland.
| | - Ludomir Stefańczyk
- Department of Radiology-Diagnostic Imaging, Medical University of Łódź, Barlicki University Hospital No. 1, Łódź 90-153, Poland.
| | - Magdalena Kotlicka-Antczak
- Department of Affective and Psychotic Disorders, Medical University of Łódź, Central Clinical Hospital, Łódź 92-213, Poland.
| | - Agnieszka Gmitrowicz
- Department of Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of Łódź, Central Clinical Hospital, Łódź 92-213, Poland.
| | - Piotr Grzelak
- Department of Radiology-Diagnostic Imaging, Medical University of Łódź, Barlicki University Hospital No. 1, Łódź 90-153, Poland.
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20
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Liu W, Yu H, Jiang B, Pan B, Yu S, Li H, Zheng L. The predictive value of baseline NAA/Cr for treatment response of first-episode schizophrenia: A ¹H MRS study. Neurosci Lett 2015; 600:199-205. [PMID: 26099422 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2015.06.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2014] [Revised: 05/14/2015] [Accepted: 06/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The study focused on the predictive value of baseline metabolite ratios in bilateral hippocampus of first-episode schizophrenia by using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H MRS). (1)H MRS data were acquired from 23 hallucination and 17 non-hallucination first-episode schizophrenia patients compared with 17 healthy participants. Clinical characteristics of patients were rated using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) before and after 3-month treatment. The schizophrenia patients showed lower NAA/Cr ratio than healthy participants respectively (p=0.024; p=0.001), and non-hallucination patients had even lower NAA/Cr ratio than hallucination patients (p=0.033). After 3-month treatment, hallucination patients had greater improvement in negative symptoms than non-hallucination patients (p=0.018). The reduction of PANSS total score and negative factor score was positively correlated with the left NAA/Cr in both group patients (p<0.05). Given that the bilateral hippocampal baseline NAA/Cr had predictive value for the whole treatment response, and the left hippocampal NAA/Cr can predict the prognosis of negative symptoms during acute phase medication in first-episode schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weibo Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hualiang Yu
- Department of Psychiatry, Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Biao Jiang
- Department of Radiology, Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Bing Pan
- Department of Psychiatry, Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shaohua Yu
- Department of Psychiatry, Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Huichun Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Leilei Zheng
- Department of Psychiatry, Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
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Zong X, Hu M, Li Z, Cao H, He Y, Liao Y, Zhou J, Sang D, Zhao H, Tang J, Lv L, Chen X. N-acetylaspartate reduction in the medial prefrontal cortex following 8 weeks of risperidone treatment in first-episode drug-naïve schizophrenia patients. Sci Rep 2015; 5:9109. [PMID: 25778460 PMCID: PMC4894446 DOI: 10.1038/srep09109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2014] [Accepted: 02/19/2015] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
It is unclear whether N-acetylaspartate (NAA) depletions documented in schizophrenia patients might be due to the disease progression or medications. Here we investigated longitudinal NAA changes in drug-naïve first-episode patients (FEP) who are relatively free from chronicity. Forty-two drug-naïve FEP and 38 controls were enrolled in this study to explore the effect of 8-week risperidone monotherapy on NAA. All spectra were obtained from the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) on a 3.0 T MRI and analyzed with LCModel. At baseline, patients presented no significant differences in NAA (P = 0.084) or NAA/Cr + Pcr (P = 0.500) compared to controls; NAA levels were negatively correlated with PANSS total scores (P = 0.001) and WCST-PE (P = 0.041). After treatment, patients demonstrated significant reductions of NAA (P < 0.001) and NAA/Cr + Pcr (P < 0.001), and significant improvement in PANSS-P (P < 0.001) and PANSS-G (P < 0.001) symptoms. We detected no significant correlations between NAA alterations and PANSS-P (P = 0.679) or PANSS-G (P = 0.668) symptom changes; nor did NAA/Cr + Pcr changes with alterations in PANSS-P (P = 0.677) and PANSS-G (P = 0.616). This is the first evidence that short-term risperidone treatment induces an acute reduction of MPFC NAA during the early phase of schizophrenia, which may be a previously unavailable biomarker to indicate risperidone with a similar pharmacological mechanism, although the functional significance is still unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofen Zong
- Institute of Mental Health, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Maolin Hu
- Institute of Mental Health, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zongchang Li
- Institute of Mental Health, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Hongbao Cao
- Unit on Statistical Genomics, National Institute of Mental Health, NIH, Bethesda, USA
| | - Ying He
- Institute of Mental Health, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yanhui Liao
- Institute of Mental Health, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jun Zhou
- Institute of Mental Health, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Deen Sang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Hongzeng Zhao
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Jinsong Tang
- Institute of Mental Health, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Luxian Lv
- Henan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, PR China; Department of Psychiatry, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Xiaogang Chen
- 1] Institute of Mental Health, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China [2] Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health of Hunan Province, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China [3] National Technology of Institute of Psychiatry, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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22
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Paslakis G, Träber F, Roberz J, Block W, Jessen F. N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) as a correlate of pharmacological treatment in psychiatric disorders: a systematic review. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2014; 24:1659-75. [PMID: 25130303 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2014.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2014] [Revised: 04/22/2014] [Accepted: 06/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The amino-acid N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) is located in neurons and the concentration of NAA correlates with neuronal mitochondrial function. The signal of NAA, as measured with proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS), is considered to reflect both, neuronal density and integrity of neuronal mitochondria. A reduction of the NAA concentrations has been found in several psychiatric disorders. Newer studies report reversal of decreased NAA concentration with treatment. The objective of this review is to summarize the literature on NAA changes in association with psychopharmacological treatment in psychiatric disorders (affective disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia and dementia). The majority of studies identified increased NAA concentrations in response to treatment, while a smaller number of studies did not find this effect. The NAA increase seems to be neither specific for a certain disorder nor for a specific intervention. This suggests that the reduction of NAA may represent an altered functional (metabolic) state of neurons common to different psychiatric disorders and the increase after treatment to indicate functional restoration as one general effect of interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Frank Träber
- Department of Radiology, University of Bonn, Germany
| | - Jens Roberz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Frank Jessen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, Germany; German Center for Neurogenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany.
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23
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Gan JL, Cheng ZX, Duan HF, Yang JM, Zhu XQ, Gao CY. Atypical antipsychotic drug treatment for 6 months restores N-acetylaspartate in left prefrontal cortex and left thalamus of first-episode patients with early onset schizophrenia: A magnetic resonance spectroscopy study. Psychiatry Res 2014; 223:23-7. [PMID: 24831926 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2014.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2013] [Revised: 04/18/2014] [Accepted: 04/19/2014] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Early onset schizophrenia (EOS) is often associated with poorer outcomes, including lack of school education, higher risk of mental disability and resistance to treatment. But the knowledge of the neurobiological mechanism of EOS is limited. Here, using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, we investigated the possible neurochemical abnormalities in prefrontal cortex (PFC) and thalamus of first-episode drug-naïve patients with EOS, and followed up the effects of atypical antipsychotic treatment for 6 months on neurochemical metabolites and clinical symptoms. We measured the ratios of N-acetylaspartate (NAA), choline (Cho) to creatine (Cr) in 41 adolescents with first episode of EOS and in 28 healthy controls matched for age, gender, and years of education. The EOS patients presented with abnormally low NAA/Cr values in the left PFC and left thalamus with a reduced tendency in the right PFC compared with healthy controls. No significant differences were detected between groups for Cho/Cr in PFC and thalamus in any hemisphere. After atypical antipsychotic treatment for 6 months, the reduced NAA/Cr in the left PFC and left thalamus in EOS patients was elevated to the normal level in healthy controls, without any alteration in Cho/Cr. We also found that there was no significant correlation between the neurochemical metabolite ratios in the PFC and thalamus in patients with EOS, and clinical characteristics. Our results suggest that there was neurochemical metabolite abnormalities in PFC and thalamus in EOS patients, atypical antipsychotic treatment can effectively relieve the symptoms and restore the reduced NAA in PFC and thalamus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Li Gan
- Mental Diseases Prevention and Treatment Institute of Chinese PLA, PLA 91st Central Hospital, Jiaozuo 454003, PR China.
| | - Zheng-Xiang Cheng
- Mental Diseases Prevention and Treatment Institute of Chinese PLA, PLA 91st Central Hospital, Jiaozuo 454003, PR China
| | - Hui-Feng Duan
- Mental Diseases Prevention and Treatment Institute of Chinese PLA, PLA 91st Central Hospital, Jiaozuo 454003, PR China
| | - Jia-Ming Yang
- Center for Medical Imaging, PLA 91st Central Hospital, Jiaozuo 454003, PR China
| | - Xi-Quan Zhu
- Mental Diseases Prevention and Treatment Institute of Chinese PLA, PLA 91st Central Hospital, Jiaozuo 454003, PR China
| | - Cun-You Gao
- Mental Diseases Prevention and Treatment Institute of Chinese PLA, PLA 91st Central Hospital, Jiaozuo 454003, PR China
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Bustillo JR. Use of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the treatment of psychiatric disorders: a critical update. DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2014. [PMID: 24174904 PMCID: PMC3811104 DOI: 10.31887/dcns.2013.15.3/jbustillo] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Because of the wide availability of hardware as well as of standardized analytic quantification tools, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) has become widely used to study psychiatric disorders. (1)H-MRS allows measurement of brain concentrations of more traditional singlet neurometabolites like N-acetylaspartate, choline, and creatine. More recently, quantification of the more complex multiplet spectra for glutamate, glutamine, inositol, and γ-aminobutyric acid have also been implemented. Here we review applications of (1)H-MRS in terms of informing treatment options in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorders. We first discuss recent meta-analytic studies reporting the most reliable findings. Then we evaluate the more sparse literature focused on 1H-MRS-detected neurometabolic effects of various treatment approaches in psychiatric populations. Finally we speculate on future developments that may result in translation of these tools to improve the treatment of psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan R Bustillo
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
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Homan P, Vermathen P, Van Swam C, Federspiel A, Boesch C, Strik W, Dierks T, Hubl D, Kreis R. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy investigations of functionally defined language areas in schizophrenia patients with and without auditory hallucinations. Neuroimage 2014; 94:23-32. [PMID: 24650602 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2013] [Revised: 02/26/2014] [Accepted: 03/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cerebral dysfunction occurring in mental disorders can show metabolic disturbances which are limited to circumscribed brain areas. Auditory hallucinations have been shown to be related to defined cortical areas linked to specific language functions. Here, we investigated if the study of metabolic changes in auditory hallucinations requires a functional rather than an anatomical definition of their location and size to allow a reliable investigation by magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). METHODS Schizophrenia patients with (AH; n=12) and without hallucinations (NH; n=8) and healthy controls (HC; n=11) underwent a verbal fluency task in functional MRI (fMRI) to functionally define Broca's and Wernicke's areas. Left and right Heschl's gyri were defined anatomically. RESULTS The mean distances in native space between the fMRI-defined regions and a corresponding anatomically defined area were 12.4±6.1 mm (range: 2.7-36.1 mm) for Broca's area and 16.8±6.2 mm (range: 4.5-26.4 mm) for Wernicke's area, respectively. Hence, the spatial variance was of similar extent as the size of the investigated regions. Splitting the investigations into a single voxel examination in the frontal brain and a spectroscopic imaging part for the more homogeneous field areas led to good spectral quality for almost all spectra. In Broca's area, there was a significant group effect (p=0.03) with lower levels of N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) in NH compared to HC (p=0.02). There were positive associations of NAA levels in the left Heschl's gyrus with total (p=0.03) and negative (p=0.006) PANSS scores. In Broca's area, there was a negative association of myo-inositol levels with total PANSS scores (p=0.008). CONCLUSION This study supports the neurodegenerative hypothesis of schizophrenia only in a frontal region whereas the results obtained from temporal regions are in contrast to the majority of previous studies. Future research should test the hypothesis raised by this study that a functional definition of language regions is needed if neurochemical imbalances are expected to be restricted to functional foci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Homan
- Department of Psychiatric Neurophysiology, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Peter Vermathen
- Unit for Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Methodology, Department of Clinical Research and Institute of Diagnostic, Interventional and Pediatric Radiology, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Van Swam
- Department of Psychiatric Neurophysiology, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Federspiel
- Department of Psychiatric Neurophysiology, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Chris Boesch
- Unit for Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Methodology, Department of Clinical Research and Institute of Diagnostic, Interventional and Pediatric Radiology, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Werner Strik
- University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Dierks
- Department of Psychiatric Neurophysiology, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Daniela Hubl
- Department of Psychiatric Neurophysiology, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Roland Kreis
- Unit for Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Methodology, Department of Clinical Research and Institute of Diagnostic, Interventional and Pediatric Radiology, University of Bern, Switzerland
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES The investigation of the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder in patients at disease onset is a strategy to avoid the confounding effect of progression of disease or duration of treatment. Our purpose was to investigate in vivo neuronal metabolites in the hippocampus of bipolar disorder patients using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) within 3 months after their first manic episode. METHODS Fifty-eight BD I patients meeting DSM-IV criteria following their first episode of mania and 27 healthy subjects were studied using (1)H-MRS with a 3.0 T Philips Achieva scanner. Voxels with 30 × 15 × 15 mm were placed in the hippocampus on both sides of the brain and the signal was collected using a PRESS sequence with TE = 35 ms and TR = 2000 ms. Data analysis was performed using the LC Model software. RESULTS N-Acetyl-aspartate (NAA), choline (Cho), myo-inositol (mI), creatine (Cre) and glutamine + glutamate (Glx) levels were compared between the groups and no statistically significant differences were found. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that early in the course of BD there are no alterations in neuronal metabolism or vulnerability in the hippocampus after the first manic episode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Duarte Gigante
- Bipolar Research Program, Department and Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo Medical School , São Paulo - SP , Brazil
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Meyerhoff DJ. Brain proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of alcohol use disorders. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2014; 125:313-37. [PMID: 25307583 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-62619-6.00019-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
This chapter critically reviews brain proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H MRS) studies performed since 1994 in individuals with alcohol use disorders (AUD). We describe the neurochemicals that can be measured in vivo at the most common magnetic field strengths, summarize our knowledge about their general brain functions, and briefly explain some basic human (1)H MRS methods. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal research of individuals in treatment and of treatment-naïve individuals with AUD are discussed and interpreted on the basis of reported neuropathology. As AUDs are highly comorbid with chronic cigarette smoking and illicit substance abuse, we also summarize reports on their respective influences on regional proton metabolite levels. After reviewing research on neurobiologic correlates of relapse and genetic influences on brain metabolite levels, we finish with suggestions on future directions for (1)H MRS studies in AUDs. The review demonstrates that brain metabolic alterations associated with AUDs as well as their cognitive correlates are not simply a consequence of chronic alcohol consumption. Future MR research of AUDs in general has to be better prepared - and supported - to study clinically complex relationships between personality characteristics, comorbidities, neurogenetics, lifestyle, and living environment, as all these factors critically affect an individual's neurometabolic profile. (1)H MRS is uniquely positioned to tackle these complexities by contributing to a comprehensive biopsychosocial profile of individuals with AUD: it can provide non-invasive biochemical information on select regions of the brain at comparatively low overall cost for the ultimate purpose of informing more efficient treatments of AUDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dieter J Meyerhoff
- Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases, San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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Grošić V, Folnegović Grošić P, Kalember P, Bajs Janović M, Radoš M, Mihanović M, Henigsberg N. The effect of atypical antipsychotics on brain N-acetylaspartate levels in antipsychotic-naïve first-episode patients with schizophrenia: a preliminary study. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2014; 10:1243-53. [PMID: 25045268 PMCID: PMC4094629 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s61415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate the correlates of a clinical therapeutic response by using the parameters measured by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy after the administration of atypical antipsychotics. PATIENTS AND METHODS Twenty-five antipsychotic-naïve first-episode patients with schizophrenia were monitored for 12 months. The patients were evaluated using (1)H magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Clinical Global Impression Scale of Severity, Tower of London - Drexel University, Letter-Number Span Test, Trail Making Test A, and Personal and Social Performance Scale. They were administered atypical antipsychotics, starting with quetiapine. In the absence of a therapeutic response, another antipsychotic was introduced. RESULTS After 12 study months, the N-acetylaspartate/creatine (NAA/Cr) level did not significantly change at the whole-group level. Additional analysis revealed a significant rise in the NAA/Cr level in the study group that stayed on the same antipsychotic throughout the study course (P=0.008) and a significant drop in NAA/Cr in the study group that switched antipsychotics (P=0.005). On the whole-group level, no significant correlations between NAA/Cr values and other scores were found at either baseline or after 12 study months. CONCLUSION One-year treatment with atypical antipsychotics administered to antipsychotic-naïve patients didn't result in a significant rise in the NAA/Cr ratio. However, a significant rise was witnessed in the study group in which a satisfactory therapeutic response had been achieved with a single antipsychotic administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Grošić
- Psychiatric Hospital Sveti Ivan, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | | | - Petra Kalember
- Polyclinic Neuron, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia ; Department of Neuropharmacology and Behavioral Pharmacology, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Maja Bajs Janović
- University Hospital Center Zagreb, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Marko Radoš
- Polyclinic Neuron, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia ; Department of Neuropharmacology and Behavioral Pharmacology, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Mate Mihanović
- Psychiatric Hospital Sveti Ivan, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Neven Henigsberg
- Polyclinic Neuron, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia ; Vrapče University Hospital, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
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Piras F, Piras F, Caltagirone C, Spalletta G. Brain circuitries of obsessive compulsive disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis of diffusion tensor imaging studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2013; 37:2856-77. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2013] [Revised: 09/27/2013] [Accepted: 10/19/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Schwerk A, Alves FDS, Pouwels PJW, van Amelsvoort T. Metabolic alterations associated with schizophrenia: a critical evaluation of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies. J Neurochem 2013; 128:1-87. [DOI: 10.1111/jnc.12398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2013] [Revised: 07/31/2013] [Accepted: 08/03/2013] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anne Schwerk
- Department of Neurology; Charité - University Medicine; Berlin Germany
| | - Fabiana D. S. Alves
- Department of Psychiatry; Academic Medical Centre; Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Petra J. W. Pouwels
- Department of Physics& Medical Technology; VU University Medical Centre; Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Therese van Amelsvoort
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology; Maastricht University; Maastricht The Netherlands
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Shu XJ, Xue L, Liu W, Chen FY, Zhu C, Sun XH, Wang XP, Liu ZC, Zhao H. More vulnerability of left than right hippocampal damage in right-handed patients with post-traumatic stress disorder. Psychiatry Res 2013; 212:237-44. [PMID: 23149034 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2012.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2011] [Revised: 04/09/2012] [Accepted: 04/12/2012] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown hippocampal abnormalities in people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but findings of diminished volume in shortages in the hippocampus have been inconsistent. In this study, we investigated changes in hippocampal volume and neuronal metabolites in right-handed PTSD patients to determine their possible relationship(s) with PTSD severity. We performed a case-control study of 11 right-handed PTSD patients and 11 healthy controls using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H MRS). Hippocampal volume and metabolite ratios of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) to creatine (Cr) (NAA/Cr) and choline compounds (Cho) to Cr (Cho/Cr) were calculated. The severity of PTSD was evaluated by the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS). Significantly decreased left and total normalized hippocampal volumes were found in PTSD patients compared with controls (6.6% for the left hippocampus, 5.5% for total hippocampus). Also, the bilateral hippocampal NAA/Cr ratio of PTSD patients was significantly reduced compared with controls. The volume of the left hippocampus was negatively correlated to the CAPS total and CPAS-C scores. The left hippocampal NAA/Cr ratio was negatively correlated to the CAPS-total, CAPS-B, CAPS-C, and CAPS-D scores. The CAPS total and the CAPS-B scores were positively correlated to the Cho/Cr ratio of the right hippocampus. Our results indicate that hippocampal dysfunction is asymmetric in right-handed PTSD patients, with the left side affected more than the right.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi-Ji Shu
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Medical School, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, Hubei, China
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Effects of davunetide on N-acetylaspartate and choline in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in patients with schizophrenia. Neuropsychopharmacology 2013; 38:1245-52. [PMID: 23325325 PMCID: PMC3656368 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2013.23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is associated with extensive neurocognitive and behavioral impairments. Studies indicate that N-acetylaspartate (NAA), a marker of neuronal integrity, and choline, a marker of cell membrane turnover and white matter integrity, may be altered in schizophrenia. Davunetide is a neurotrophic peptide that can enhance cognitive function in animal models of neurodegeneration. Davunetide has recently demonstrated modest functional improvement in a study of people with schizophrenia. In a subset of these subjects, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) was conducted to explore the effects of davunetide on change in NAA/creatine (NAA/Cr) and choline/creatine (choline/Cr) over 12 weeks of treatment. Of 63 outpatients with schizophrenia who received randomized davunetide (5 and 30 mg/day) or placebo in the parent clinical trial, 18 successfully completed (1)H-MRS in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) at baseline and at 12 weeks. Cognition was assessed using the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB). NAA/Cr was unchanged for combined high- and low-dose davunetide groups (N=11). NAA/Cr in the high-dose davunetide group (N=8) suggested a trend increase of 8.0% (P=0.072) over placebo (N=7). Choline/Cr for combined high- and low-dose davunetide groups suggested a 6.4% increase (P=0.069), while the high-dose group showed a 7.9% increase (P=0.040) over placebo. Baseline NAA/Cr correlated with the composite MCCB score (R=0.52, P=0.033), as did individual cognitive domains of attention/vigilance, verbal learning, and social cognition; however, neither metabolite correlated with functional capacity. In this exploratory study, 12 weeks of adjunctive davunetide appeared to produce modest increases in NAA/Cr and choline/Cr in DLPFC in people with schizophrenia. This is consistent with a potential neuroprotective mechanism for davunetide. The data also support use of MRS as a useful biomarker of baseline cognitive function in schizophrenia. Future clinical and preclinical studies are needed to fully define the mechanism of action and cognitive effects of davunetide in schizophrenia.
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Mondino M, Brunelin J, Saoud M. N-Acetyl-Aspartate Level is Decreased in the Prefrontal Cortex in Subjects At-Risk for Schizophrenia. Front Psychiatry 2013; 4:99. [PMID: 24046751 PMCID: PMC3763479 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2013.00099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2013] [Accepted: 08/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Reduced N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) levels have been reported in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in patients with schizophrenia using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. However, it is unclear whether this NAA reduction predates the illness onset and is reported in subjects at-risk for developing schizophrenia (HRS). The aim of this study was to assess NAA levels in the PFC in HRS. We hypothesized that HRS display lower NAA levels than healthy controls in the PFC. Studies assessing levels of NAA/Creatine (NAA/Cr) in the PFC in HRS were extracted from literature. Meta-analysis tools were used to compute effect sizes of nine selected studies meeting our inclusion criteria (clinical and/or genetic HRS, groups of HRS, and healthy controls matched for age and gender, spectral acquisition in the PFC). We reported that HRS exhibited a significant lower NAA/Cr level (2.15 ± 0.29; n = 208) than healthy controls (2.21 ± 0.32; n = 234) in the PFC with a medium pooled effect size [Hedges's g = -0.42; 95% confidence interval: (-0.61; -0.23); p < 0.0001] corresponding to an average 5.7% of NAA/Cr decrease. Secondary analysis revealed that this reduction was observed in young HRS (<40 years old) who have not reached the peak age of risk for schizophrenia (-11%, g = -0.82, p < 0.00001) but not in old HRS (>40 years old) who have already passed the peak age (g = 0.11, p = 0.56), when they are compared with their matched healthy controls. Our findings suggest that the NAA/Cr reduction in the PFC reported in patients with schizophrenia is observable only in HRS who have not passed the peak age of risk for schizophrenia. NAA/Cr level in the PFC could therefore be considered as a biological vulnerability marker of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Mondino
- EA4615, CH le Vinatier, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 , Lyon , France
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Kraguljac NV, Reid MA, White DM, den Hollander J, Lahti AC. Regional decoupling of N-acetyl-aspartate and glutamate in schizophrenia. Neuropsychopharmacology 2012; 37:2635-42. [PMID: 22805603 PMCID: PMC3473328 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2012.126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-MRS) allows the non-invasive measurement of several metabolites, including N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA), an amino acid exclusively synthesized in the mitochondria of neurons, and glutamate, an amino acid involved in excitatory neurotransmission and metabolism. In view of recent postmortem studies in schizophrenia (SZ) revealing mitochondrial abnormalities as well as perturbed expression of the enzymes regulating the glutamate-glutamine cycle, we hypothesized that a disruption in the homeostasis of NAA and glutamate in SZ is present. Fifty subjects with SZ and 48 matched healthy controls (HC) were enrolled in this ¹H-MRS study. Voxels were placed in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and hippocampus; NAA/Cr and glutamate + glutamine (Glx)/Cr ratios were obtained. We did not find any significant differences between the groups in metabolite levels in both the ACC and hippocampus. In the hippocampus we found that NAA/Cr and Glx/Cr ratios were significantly correlated in HC (r=0.40, p<0.01 (corrected p=0.048)) but not in SZ (r=-0.06; p=0.71), a difference that was statistically significant (z=2.22, p=0.02). Although no differences in neurometabolites between SZ and HC were apparent, correlations between NAA/Cr and Glx/Cr in healthy subjects in the hippocampus were found, and this correlation was lost in subjects with SZ. To our knowledge, this is the first study to suggest decoupling of these metabolites, a pathophysiological change that may be unique to SZ. However, these results warrant replication and further exploration before definite conclusions can be drawn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina V Kraguljac
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Meredith A Reid
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - David M White
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Jan den Hollander
- Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Adrienne C Lahti
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, SC 501, 1530 3rd Avenue S, Birmingham, AL 35294-0017, USA, Tel: +205 996 6776, Fax: +205 975 4879, E-mail:
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Szulc A, Galińska-Skok B, Tarasów E, Konarzewska B, Waszkiewicz N, Hykiel R, Walecki J. Clinical and cognitive correlates of the proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy measures in chronic schizophrenia. Med Sci Monit 2012; 18:CR390-8. [PMID: 22648255 PMCID: PMC3560721 DOI: 10.12659/msm.882909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) allows for examining brain functions in vivo in schizophrenic patients. Correlations between N-acetylaspartate (NAA) level in the frontal lobe and cognitive functions and clinical symptoms have been observed. The aim of the present study was evaluation of relationship between clinical symptoms, cognitive outcomes and brain function in 1H MRS measures in schizophrenic patients. Material/Methods The study included a group of 47 patients with chronic schizophrenia. Patients were assessed by means of PANSS, CGI, and a battery of cognitive tests: WCST, TMT, and verbal fluency test. MRI and MRS procedures were performed. Regions of interest were located in the left frontal lobe, temporal lobe and thalamus. Metabolite (NAA, choline, myoinositol and Glx complex) ratios to creatine were calculated. Results We observed a significant negative correlation between myoinositol level in the frontal lobe and WSCT test performance. These data were confirmed by further analysis, which showed a significant correlation between WCST outcome, negative symptoms score, education level and myoinositol ratio in the frontal lobe. When analyzing negative symptoms as independent variables, the analysis of regression revealed a significant relationship between negative symptoms score and verbal fluency score, together with choline level in the thalamus. Conclusions The above data seem to confirm a significant role of the thalamus – a “transmission station” involved in connections with the prefrontal cortex – for psychopathology development (especially negative) in schizophrenia. Moreover, our results suggest that a neurodegenerative process may be involved in schizophrenia pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata Szulc
- Psychiatry Clinic of Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland.
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Neurometabolites in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder - a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychiatry Res 2012; 203:111-25. [PMID: 22981426 PMCID: PMC3466386 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2012.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2011] [Revised: 02/02/2012] [Accepted: 02/08/2012] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
This meta-analysis evaluates alterations of neurometabolites in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. PubMed was searched to find controlled studies evaluating N-acetylaspartate (NAA), Choline (Cho) and Creatine (Cr) assessed with ((1))H-MRS (proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy) in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder up to September 2010. Random effects meta-analyses were conducted to estimate pooled standardized mean differences. The statistic was used to quantify inconsistencies. Subgroup analyses were conducted to explore potential explanations for inconsistencies. The systematic review included 146 studies with 5643 participants. NAA levels were affected in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Decreased levels in the basal ganglia and frontal lobe were the most consistent findings in schizophrenia; decreased levels in the basal ganglia were the most consistent findings in bipolar disorder. Cho and Cr levels were not altered in either disorder. Findings for Cr were most consistent in the thalamus, frontal lobe and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia and the basal ganglia and frontal lobe in bipolar disorder. Findings for Cho were most consistent in the thalamus, frontal lobe and anterior cingulate cortex in schizophrenia and basal ganglia in bipolar disorder. Large, carefully designed studies are needed to better estimate the extent of alterations in neurometabolites.
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Maddock RJ, Buonocore MH. MR spectroscopic studies of the brain in psychiatric disorders. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2012; 11:199-251. [PMID: 22294088 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2011_197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The measurement of brain metabolites with magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) provides a unique perspective on the brain bases of neuropsychiatric disorders. As a context for interpreting MRS studies of neuropsychiatric disorders, we review the characteristic MRS signals, the metabolic dynamics,and the neurobiological significance of the major brain metabolites that can be measured using clinical MRS systems. These metabolites include N-acetylaspartate(NAA), creatine, choline-containing compounds, myo-inositol, glutamate and glutamine, lactate, and gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA). For the major adult neuropsychiatric disorders (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, and the anxiety disorders), we highlight the most consistent MRS findings, with an emphasis on those with potential clinical or translational significance. Reduced NAA in specific brain regions in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive–compulsive disorder corroborate findings of reduced brain volumes in the same regions. Future MRS studies may help determine the extent to which the neuronal dysfunction suggested by these findings is reversible in these disorders. Elevated glutamate and glutamine (Glx) in patients with bipolar disorder and reduced Glx in patients with unipolar major depression support models of increased and decreased glutamatergic function, respectively, in those conditions. Reduced phosphomonoesters and intracellular pH in bipolar disorder and elevated dynamic lactate responses in panic disorder are consistent with metabolic models of pathogenesis in those disorders. Preliminary findings of an increased glutamine/glutamate ratio and decreased GABA in patients with schizophrenia are consistent with a model of NMDA hypofunction in that disorder. As MRS methods continue to improve, future studies may further advance our understanding of the natural history of psychiatric illnesses, improve our ability to test translational models of pathogenesis, clarify therapeutic mechanisms of action,and allow clinical monitoring of the effects of interventions on brain metabolicmarkers
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Association of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor val66met polymorphism with magnetic resonance spectroscopic markers in the human hippocampus: in vivo evidence for effects on the glutamate system. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2012; 262:23-31. [PMID: 21509595 PMCID: PMC3270260 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-011-0214-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2010] [Accepted: 04/08/2011] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a key regulator of synaptic plasticity and has been suggested to be involved in the pathophysiology and pathogenesis of psychotic disorders, with particular emphasis on dysfunctions of the hippocampus. The aim of the present study was to replicate and to extend prior findings of BDNF val66met genotype effects on hippocampal volume and N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) levels. Hundred and fifty-eight caucasians (66 schizophrenic, 45 bipolar, and 47 healthy subjects; 105 subjects underwent MRI and 103 MRS scanning) participated in the study and were genotyped with regard to the val66met polymorphism (rs6265) of the BDNF gene. Hippocampal volumes were determined using structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and measures of biochemical markers were taken using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) in the hippocampus and other brain regions. Verbal memory was assessed as a behavioral index of hippocampal function. BDNF genotype did not impact hippocampal volumes. Significant genotype effects were found on metabolic markers specifically in the left hippocampus. In particular, homozygous carriers of the met-allele exhibited significantly lower NAA/Cre and (Glu + Gln)/Cre metabolic ratios compared with val/val homozygotes, independently of psychiatric diagnoses. BDNF genotype had a numerical, but nonsignificant effect on verbal memory performance. These findings provide first in vivo evidence for an effect of the functional BDNF val66met polymorphism on the glutamate system in human hippocampus.
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Seese RR, O’Neill J, Hudkins M, Siddarth P, Levitt J, Tseng B, Wu KN, Caplan R. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy and thought disorder in childhood schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2011; 133:82-90. [PMID: 21872444 PMCID: PMC3229835 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2011.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2010] [Revised: 07/05/2011] [Accepted: 07/09/2011] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Although magnetic resonance spectroscopy has identified metabolic abnormalities in adult and childhood schizophrenia, no prior studies have investigated the relationship between neurometabolites and thought disorder. This study examined this association in language-related brain regions using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging ((1)H MRSI). METHOD MRSI was acquired bilaterally from 28 youth with childhood-onset schizophrenia and 34 healthy control subjects in inferior frontal, middle frontal, and superior temporal gyri at 1.5T and short echo time (TR/TE = 1500/30 ms). CSF-corrected "total NAA" (tNAA; N-acetyl-aspartate + N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate), glutamate + glutamine (Glx), creatine + phosphocreatine (Cr + PCr), choline compounds (Cho), and myo-inositol (mI) were assayed in manually drawn regions-of-interest partitioned into gray matter, white matter, and CSF and then coregistered with MRSI. Speech samples of all subjects were coded for thought disorder. RESULTS In the schizophrenia group, the severity of formal thought disorder correlated significantly with tNAA in the left inferior frontal and superior temporal gyri and with Cr + PCr in left superior temporal gyrus. CONCLUSIONS Neurometabolite concentrations in language-related brain regions are associated with thought disorder in childhood-onset schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald R. Seese
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1759
| | - Joseph O’Neill
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1759
| | - Matthew Hudkins
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1759
| | - Prabha Siddarth
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1759
| | - Jennifer Levitt
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1759
| | - Ben Tseng
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1759
| | - Keng Nei Wu
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1759
| | - Rochelle Caplan
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1759
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1 H-MR spectroscopy in ultra-high risk and first episode stages of schizophrenia. J Psychiatr Res 2011; 45:1135-9. [PMID: 21397254 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2011.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2010] [Revised: 01/13/2011] [Accepted: 02/10/2011] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy biochemical characteristics in early stages of schizophrenia were examined. N-acetylaspartate, choline and creatine were measured in hippocampus, anterior cingulate gyrus (ACC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of 24 first episode and 30 ultra-high risk patients. Careful LCModel analyses revealed no differences between the patient groups and 31 healthy controls, casting doubt upon the idea of metabolic changes in early stages of psychosis.
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da Silva Alves F, Boot E, Schmitz N, Nederveen A, Vorstman J, Lavini C, Pouwels PJ, de Haan L, Linszen D, van Amelsvoort T. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in 22q11 deletion syndrome. PLoS One 2011; 6:e21685. [PMID: 21738766 PMCID: PMC3128078 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0021685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2010] [Accepted: 06/07/2011] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective People with velo-cardio-facial syndrome or 22q11 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) have behavioral, cognitive and psychiatric problems. Approximately 30% of affected individuals develop schizophrenia-like psychosis. Glutamate dysfunction is thought to play a crucial role in schizophrenia. However, it is unknown if and how the glutamate system is altered in 22q11DS. People with 22q11DS are vulnerable for haploinsufficiency of PRODH, a gene that codes for an enzyme converting proline into glutamate. Therefore, it can be hypothesized that glutamatergic abnormalities may be present in 22q11DS. Method We employed proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) to quantify glutamate and other neurometabolites in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and hippocampus of 22 adults with 22q11DS (22q11DS SCZ+) and without (22q11DS SCZ−) schizophrenia and 23 age-matched healthy controls. Also, plasma proline levels were determined in the 22q11DS group. Results We found significantly increased concentrations of glutamate and myo-inositol in the hippocampal region of 22q11DS SCZ+ compared to 22q11DS SCZ−. There were no significant differences in levels of plasma proline between 22q11DS SCZ+ and 22q11DS SCZ−. There was no relationship between plasma proline and cerebral glutamate in 22q11DS. Conclusion This is the first in vivo1H-MRS study in 22q11DS. Our results suggest vulnerability of the hippocampus in the psychopathology of 22q11DS SCZ+. Altered hippocampal glutamate and myo-inositol metabolism may partially explain the psychotic symptoms and cognitive impairments seen in this group of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiana da Silva Alves
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Centre Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Lindquist DM, Dunn RS, Cecil KM. Long term antipsychotic treatment does not alter metabolite concentrations in rat striatum: an in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy study. Schizophr Res 2011; 128:83-90. [PMID: 21429713 PMCID: PMC3085587 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2011.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2010] [Revised: 02/18/2011] [Accepted: 02/24/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) studies of schizophrenic patients generally reveal reduced levels of N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) when compared with healthy controls. Whether this reduction is due to the disease or to the drugs used for treatment remains an open question. Numerous human and animal studies have attempted to determine the effects of antipsychotics on NAA levels with mixed results. The majority of the animal studies were ex vivo, which may not accurately reflect the in vivo situation, and limitations of the human studies include previous or concomitant medications or other confounds. To overcome these limitations, we dosed 10 rats/group for six months via drinking water with 0.2 or 2 mg/kg/day haloperidol or 10 or 30 mg/kg/day clozapine. Control rats received unadulterated water. Proton MRS data were collected longitudinally over the six month period from a 64 μL voxel containing primarily the right striatum prior to and monthly during drug administration and used to estimate the concentrations of NAA, creatine, and choline. Ratios of NAA, choline, inositol and glutamate+glutamine to creatine were also calculated. Only the Cho/Cr ratio showed a significant time-by-treatment effect (p=0.0285). These results are in agreement with previous studies of the striatum. However, regional and disease-specific effects remain unresolved.
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Brugger S, Davis JM, Leucht S, Stone JM. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy and illness stage in schizophrenia--a systematic review and meta-analysis. Biol Psychiatry 2011; 69:495-503. [PMID: 21145039 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2010] [Revised: 09/14/2010] [Accepted: 10/05/2010] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is not known whether regional brain N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) changes in the progression from prodrome to chronic schizophrenia. We used effect size meta-analysis to determine which brain regions show the most robust reductions in NAA first episode and chronic schizophrenia as measured by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy and to determine whether these changes are present in individuals at high risk of developing schizophrenia. METHODS We identified 131 articles, of which 97 met inclusion criteria. Data were separated by stage of illness (at risk, first episode schizophrenia, chronic schizophrenia) and by brain region. For each region, mean and SD of the NAA measure was extracted. RESULTS Significant reductions in NAA levels were found in frontal lobe, temporal lobe, and thalamus in both patient groups (effect size > .3; p < .01). In individuals at high risk of schizophrenia (of whom approximately 20% would be expected to undergo transition to psychosis), significant NAA reductions were present in thalamus (effect size = .78; p < .05), with reductions at trend level only in temporal lobe (effect size = .32; p < .1), and no reductions in frontal lobe (effect size = .05; p = .5). CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that schizophrenia is associated with loss of neuronal integrity in frontal and temporal cortices and in the thalamus and suggest that these changes in the frontal and temporal lobe might occur in the transition between the at-risk phase and the first episode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Brugger
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
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Reynolds LM, Reynolds GP. Differential regional N-acetylaspartate deficits in postmortem brain in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder. J Psychiatr Res 2011; 45:54-9. [PMID: 20684832 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2010.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2010] [Revised: 04/26/2010] [Accepted: 05/02/2010] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
There is substantial evidence for the involvement of the hippocampus and subcortical regions in the neuropathology of schizophrenia. Deficits of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) have been found in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder which may reflect neuronal loss and/or dysfunction. N-acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG) is the most abundant peptide transmitter in the mammalian nervous system. It is an agonist at presynaptic metabotropic glutamate receptors mGluR3, inhibiting glutamate release. NAA and NAAG and were measured in hippocampal, striatal, amygdala and cingulate gyrus regions of human postmortem tissue from controls and subjects with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder. There are significant deficits in hippocampal NAA concentrations in all patient groups. In the amygdala there are significant NAA deficits in schizophrenia and depression and significant deficits of NAAG in the amygdala in the depression group. The deficits in NAA reported in this study confirm the importance of hippocampal and other subcortical structures in the neuropathology of the major psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay M Reynolds
- Department of Psychiatry, Queen's University Belfast, Whitla Medical Building, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
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Reid MA, Stoeckel LE, White DM, Avsar KB, Bolding MS, Akella NS, Knowlton RC, Hollander JAD, Lahti AC. Assessments of function and biochemistry of the anterior cingulate cortex in schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry 2010; 68:625-33. [PMID: 20570244 PMCID: PMC2953853 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2010] [Revised: 03/24/2010] [Accepted: 04/13/2010] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuroimaging and electrophysiologic studies have consistently provided evidence of impairment in anterior cingulate cortex/medial frontal cortex function in people with schizophrenia. In this study, we sought to clarify the nature of this abnormality by combining proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at 3T. METHODS We used single-voxel MRS acquired in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and fMRI during performance of a Stroop color-naming task to investigate the neurochemistry and functional response of the anterior cingulate cortex/medial frontal cortex in 26 stable, medicated subjects with schizophrenia and 23 matched healthy control subjects. RESULTS In schizophrenia subjects, we found decreased blood oxygen level-dependent signal in the medial frontal wall, with significant clusters restricted to more dorsal regions compared with healthy subjects. In addition, we observed a trend-level decrease in N-acetylaspartate/creatine (NAA/Cr) levels and a significant positive correlation between NAA/Cr level and the blood oxygen level-dependent signal in schizophrenia subjects that did not exist in healthy subjects. Furthermore, in this group of medicated subjects, we did not find evidence of decreased glutamate + glutamine(Glx)/Cr levels, but there was a significant negative correlation between Glx/Cr levels and negative symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that abnormal NAA levels, which may reflect a neuronal dysfunction related to schizophrenia, affect neuronal physiology, as evidenced by reduced blood oxygen level-dependent response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith A. Reid
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Luke E. Stoeckel
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - David M. White
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Kathy B. Avsar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Mark S. Bolding
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, Department of Vision Sciences, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | | | - Robert C. Knowlton
- Department of Neurology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | | | - Adrienne C. Lahti
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
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Klär AA, Ballmaier M, Leopold K, Häke I, Schaefer M, Brühl R, Schubert F, Gallinat J. Interaction of hippocampal volume and N-acetylaspartate concentration deficits in schizophrenia: a combined MRI and 1H-MRS study. Neuroimage 2010; 53:51-7. [PMID: 20541020 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2010.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2009] [Revised: 05/28/2010] [Accepted: 06/03/2010] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Volume deficits assessed with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and neurochemical dysfunctions (N-acetylaspartate, NAA) diagnosed using proton MR spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) are reliable observations in the hippocampus of schizophrenic patients. NAA is an important cerebral amino acid in the synthesis pathways of glutamate, which has been implicated as a pathobiological core of schizophrenic symptomatology, of histological alterations and brain volume deficits in schizophrenia. However, the possible interaction between regional NAA reduction and volume deficits has been targeted only marginally in previous investigations. METHODS In 29 schizophrenic patients and 44 control subjects, a multimodal imaging study with (1)H-MRS and MRI volumetry of the left hippocampus was performed on a 3-Tesla scanner. RESULTS Compared to the control group, the hippocampus of the patients exhibited a significant volume reduction and a significant NAA concentration decrease. In schizophrenic patients, but not in healthy controls, a significant negative correlation between hippocampal NAA concentration and volume (r=-0.455, p=0.017) was observed. None of the imaging parameters was associated with clinical parameters. CONCLUSIONS The results argue for a coexistent neurochemical and structural deficit in the hippocampus of schizophrenic patients. The inverse relationship between the two parameters observed in patients only may reflect an interaction of neurochemistry and brain morphology as a pathobiological mechanism in schizophrenia. This observation is compatible with the important role of NAA in the synthesis of excitatory neurotransmitters and the hypothesized role of glutamate for brain morphology. The independence of the measured imaging parameters from clinical parameters is in line with the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Arthur Klär
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-University Medicine Berlin, Campus Mitte, Berlin, Germany.
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Yoon SJ, Lyoo IK, Kim HJ, Kim TS, Sung YH, Kim N, Lukas SE, Renshaw PF. Neurochemical alterations in methamphetamine-dependent patients treated with cytidine-5'-diphosphate choline: a longitudinal proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study. Neuropsychopharmacology 2010; 35:1165-73. [PMID: 20043005 PMCID: PMC2900914 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2009.221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Cytidine-5'-diphosphate choline (CDP-choline), as an important intermediate for major membrane phospholipids, may exert neuroprotective effects in various neurodegenerative disorders. This longitudinal proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) study aimed to examine whether a 4-week CDP-choline treatment could alter neurometabolite levels in patients with methamphetamine (MA) dependence and to investigate whether changes in neurometabolite levels would be associated with MA use. We hypothesized that the prefrontal levels of N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA), a neuronal marker, and choline-containing compound (Cho), which are related to membrane turnover, would increase with CDP-choline treatment in MA-dependent patients. We further hypothesized that this increase would correlate with the total number of negative urine results. Thirty-one treatment seekers with MA dependence were randomly assigned to receive CDP-choline (n=16) or placebo (n=15) for 4 weeks. Prefrontal NAA and Cho levels were examined using (1)H-MRS before medication, and at 2 and 4 weeks after treatment. Generalized estimating equation regression analyses showed that the rate of change in prefrontal NAA (p=0.005) and Cho (p=0.03) levels were greater with CDP-choline treatment than with placebo. In the CDP-choline-treated patients, changes in prefrontal NAA levels were positively associated with the total number of negative urine results (p=0.03). Changes in the prefrontal Cho levels, however, were not associated with the total number of negative urine results. These preliminary findings suggest that CDP-choline treatment may exert potential neuroprotective effects directly or indirectly because of reductions in drug use by the MA-dependent patients. Further studies with a larger sample size of MA-dependent patients are warranted to confirm a long-term efficacy of CDP-choline in neuroprotection and abstinence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujung J Yoon
- Department of Psychiatry, Catholic University of Korea School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - In Kyoon Lyoo
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,Brain Imaging Center and Clinical Research Center, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea,Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 28 Yongon-dong, Chongro-gu, Seoul 110-744, South Korea. Tel: +822 2072 2302; Fax: +822 3672 0677; E-mail:
| | - Hengjun J Kim
- Brain Imaging Center and Clinical Research Center, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Tae-Suk Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Catholic University of Korea School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Young Hoon Sung
- Department of Psychiatry and The Brain Institute, University of Utah, SLC, UT, USA,Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 19 MIRECC, SLC, UT, USA
| | - Namkug Kim
- Department of Psychiatry and The Brain Institute, University of Utah, SLC, UT, USA,Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 19 MIRECC, SLC, UT, USA
| | - Scott E Lukas
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,McLean Hospital Brain Imaging Center, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Perry F Renshaw
- Department of Psychiatry and The Brain Institute, University of Utah, SLC, UT, USA,Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 19 MIRECC, SLC, UT, USA
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Jayakumar PN, Gangadhar BN, Venkatasubramanian G, Desai S, Velayudhan L, Subbakrishna D, Keshavan MS. High energy phosphate abnormalities normalize after antipsychotic treatment in schizophrenia: a longitudinal 31P MRS study of basal ganglia. Psychiatry Res 2010; 181:237-40. [PMID: 20153149 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2009.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2009] [Revised: 08/30/2009] [Accepted: 10/16/2009] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
We reported increased high-energy phosphate metabolism in the basal ganglia of antipsychotic-naïve schizophrenia patients using (31)P Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). These patients were followed up for 1 year and and reassessed using (31)P MRS. Fourteen (8 males) patients with DSM-IV schizophrenia and 14 (11 males) healthy controls underwent (31)P MRS of sub-cortical structures (predominantly basal ganglia) twice (mean+/-S.D. interscan interval 1.15+/-0.17year) on a 1.5T scanner. Total scores on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) decreased significantly after treatment in schizophrenia patients. Patients had significantly lower mean PCr/ATP ratios than healthy controls at baseline but not during the follow-up. In patients, there was a significant positive correlation between the magnitude of improvement in PANSS total scores and the extent of change in the PCr/ATP ratio. Findings support the hypothesis that reduction of energy demand or induction of decreased energy-demanding processes might underlie the mechanism of action of antipsychotics in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peruvumba N Jayakumar
- Department of Neuroimaging & Interventional Radiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India
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Ertugrul A, Volkan-Salanci B, Basar K, Karli Oguz K, Demir B, Ergun EL, Senturk S, Erbas B, Cila A, Ulug B. The effect of clozapine on regional cerebral blood flow and brain metabolite ratios in schizophrenia: relationship with treatment response. Psychiatry Res 2009; 174:121-9. [PMID: 19837567 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2009.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2007] [Revised: 01/13/2009] [Accepted: 04/15/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of clozapine on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and its relationship with response to treatment. In addition, we aimed to study the influence of clozapine on proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) findings in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in a subgroup of patients. Psychopathology, neurocognitive functioning, and SPECT imaging of 22 patients were assessed at the baseline and 8 weeks after the initiation of clozapine treatment. In 10 of these patients intermediate-echo (TE: 135 ms) single-voxel (1)H-MRS was also performed at the baseline and after 8 weeks. Clozapine treatment increased the right frontal (superior and medial)/caudate perfusion ratio in the whole group, while it increased bilateral frontal (superior and medial)/caudate perfusion ratios in treatment responders. In addition, percentage changes in left and right frontal (superior and medial)/caudate perfusion ratios compared to the baseline were higher in treatment responders than in non-responders. The improvement in attention was related to the increase in percentage change in the right frontal (superior and medial)/caudate perfusion ratio, while the improvement in verbal fluency was related to the increase in percentage changes in both right and left frontal (superior and medial)/caudate perfusion ratios and to right frontal (superior and medial)/thalamus perfusion. Baseline frontal (superior and medial)/thalamus perfusion could explain 32% of the variability of percentage improvements in psychopathology. (1)H-MRS showed that the baseline PANSS general psychopathology score was inversely correlated with the baseline NAA/Cre ratio. An increased NAA/Cre ratio in DLPFC after 8 weeks of clozapine treatment was also revealed by (1)H-MRS. Our SPECT imaging results suggest the presence of an imbalance in fronto-striato-thalamic circuitry that changes with clozapine, especially in the responders, while (1)H-MRS results indicate a supportive effect of clozapine on neuronal integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aygun Ertugrul
- Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Ankara, Turkey.
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Hunsberger J, Austin DR, Henter ID, Chen G. The neurotrophic and neuroprotective effects of psychotropic agents. DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2009. [PMID: 19877500 PMCID: PMC2804881 DOI: 10.31887/dcns.2009.11.3/jhunsberger] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that psychotropic agents such as mood stabilizers, antidepressants, and antipsychotics realize their neurotrophic/neuroprotective effects by activating the mitogen activated protein kinaselextracellular signal-related kinase, PI3-kinase, and winglesslglycogen synthase kinase (GSK) 3 signaling pathways. These agents also upregulate the expression of trophic/protective molecules such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor, nerve growth factor, B-cell lymphoma 2, serine-threonine kinase, and Bcl-2 associated athanogene 1, and inactivate proapoptotic molecules such as GSK-3, They also promote neurogenesis and are protective in models of neurodegenerative diseases and ischemia. Most if not all, of this evidence was collected from animal studies that used clinically relevant treatment regimens. Furthermore, human imaging studies have found that these agents increase the volume and density of brain tissue, as well as levels of N-acetyl aspartate and glutamate in selected brain regions. Taken together, these data suggest that the neurotrophic/neuroprotective effects of these agents have broad therapeutic potential in the treatment, not only of mood disorders and schizophrenia, but also neurodegenerative diseases and ischemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Hunsberger
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathophysiology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, NIMH, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
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