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Reddy-Thootkur M, Kraguljac NV, Lahti AC. The role of glutamate and GABA in cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia and mood disorders - A systematic review of magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies. Schizophr Res 2022; 249:74-84. [PMID: 32107102 PMCID: PMC7874516 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2020.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Epidemiologic, genetic, and neurobiological studies suggest considerable overlap between schizophrenia and mood disorders. Importantly, both disorders are associated with a broad range of cognitive deficits as well as altered glutamatergic and GABAergic neurometabolism. We conducted a systematic review of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) studies investigating the relationship between glutamatergic and GABAergic neurometabolites and cognition in schizophrenia spectrum disorders and mood disorders. A literature search in Pubmed of studies published before April 15, 2019 was conducted and 37 studies were deemed eligible for systematic review. We found that alterations in glutamatergic and GABAergic neurotransmission have been identified relatively consistently in both schizophrenia and mood disorders. However, because of the vast heterogeneity of published studies in terms of illness stage, medication exposure, MRS acquisition parameters and data post-processing strategies, we still do not understand the relationship between those neurotransmitters and cognitive dysfunction in mental illness, which is a critical initial step for rational drug development. Our findings emphasize the need for coordinated multi-center studies that characterize cognitive function and its biological substrates in large and well-defined clinical populations, using harmonized imaging sequences and analytical methods with the goal to elucidate the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms and to inform future clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mounica Reddy-Thootkur
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Nina Vanessa Kraguljac
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Adrienne Carol Lahti
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States of America.
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Early Detection of Radiation-Induced Injury and Prediction of Cognitive Deficit by MRS Metabolites in Radiotherapy of Low-Grade Glioma. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 2021:6616992. [PMID: 34258272 PMCID: PMC8260313 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6616992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Purpose To compare the sensitivity of MRS metabolites and MoCA and ACE-R cognitive tests in the detection of radiation-induced injury in low grade glioma (LGG) patients in early and early delayed postradiation stages. Methods MRS metabolite ratios of NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr, ACE-R and MoCA cognitive tests, and dosimetric parameters in corpus callosum were analyzed during RT and up to 6-month post-RT for ten LGG patients. Results Compared to pre RT baseline, a significant decline in both NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr in the corpus callosum was seen at the 4th week of RT, 1, 3, and 6-month post-RT. These declines were detected at least 3 months before the detection of declines in cognitive functions by ACE-R and MoCA tools. Moreover, NAA/Cr alterations at 4th week of RT and 1-month post-RT were significantly negatively correlated with the mean dose received by the corpus callosum, as well as the corpus callosum 40 Gy dose volume, i.e., the volume of the corpus callosum receiving a dose greater than 40 Gy. Conclusion MRS-based biomarkers may be more sensitive than the state-of-the-art cognitive tests in the prediction of postradiation cognitive impairments. They would be utilized in treatment planning and dose sparing protocols, with a specific focus on the corpus callosum in the radiation therapy of LGG patients.
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Huang ML, Khoh TT, Lu SJ, Pan F, Chen JK, Hu JB, Hu SH, Xu WJ, Zhou WH, Wei N, Qi HL, Shang DS, Xu Y. Relationships between dorsolateral prefrontal cortex metabolic change and cognitive impairment in first-episode neuroleptic-naive schizophrenia patients. Medicine (Baltimore) 2017; 96:e7228. [PMID: 28640119 PMCID: PMC5484227 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000007228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2017] [Revised: 05/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study aimed to explore the possible associations between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) metabolites and the cognitive function in first-episode schizophrenia (FES).This study included 58 patients with FES (29 males and 29 females; mean age, 22.66 ± 7.64 years) recruited from the First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, and 43 locally recruited healthy controls (16 males and 27 females; mean age, 23.07 ± 7.49 years). The single-voxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to measure the levels of N-acetylaspartate (NAA); complex of glutamate, glutamine, and γ-aminobutyric acid (Glx); choline-containing compounds; and myo-inositol in the DLPFC. The ratios of metabolites to creatine (Cr) were calculated. The cognitive function was assessed by Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB). Correlation analysis was used to assess the relationships between the DLPFC metabolites and the cognitive function.Compared with the healthy controls, the patients with FES showed significantly reduced scores in each part of the MCCB, significantly reduced NAA/Cr, and significantly increased Glx/Cr in the left DLPFC. Poor performance in verbal learning and visual learning was correlated to the reduced NAA/Cr ratio in the left DLPFC.These findings suggest that a lower NAA/Cr ratio in the left DLPFC is associated with the cognitive deficits in patients with FES, and may be an early biochemical marker for the cognitive impairment in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man-Li Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province
| | | | - Shao-Jia Lu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province
| | - Fen Pan
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province
| | - Jin-Kai Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province
| | - Jian-Bo Hu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province
| | - Shao-Hua Hu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province
| | - Wei-Juan Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province
| | - Wei-Hua Zhou
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province
| | - Ning Wei
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province
| | - Hong-Li Qi
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province
| | - De-Sheng Shang
- Department of Radiology, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 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
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Larabi DI, Liemburg EJ, Pijnenborg GHM, Sibeijn-Kuiper A, de Vos AE, Bais L, Knegtering H, Ćurčić-Blake B, Aleman A. Association between prefrontal N-acetylaspartate and insight in psychotic disorders. Schizophr Res 2017; 179:112-118. [PMID: 27658999 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2016.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2016] [Revised: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 09/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Insight is impaired in most patients with psychosis and has been associated with poorer prognosis. The exact neural basis of impaired insight is still unknown, but it may involve disrupted prefrontal neural connectivity. Numerous studies have indeed found white matter (WM) abnormalities in psychosis. The association between prefrontal WM abnormalities and insight has not been studied yet by means of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS). 1H-MRS can be used to measure N-acetylaspartate (NAA), which is considered to be a marker of neuronal integrity. We measured insight with the Birchwood Insight Scale (BIS) as well as item G12 of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) in 88 patients with psychosis. Prefrontal WM concentrations of NAA and ratios of NAA to creatine (Cr) were assessed with 1H-MRS. Nonparametric partial correlational analyses were conducted between NAA concentrations and insight controlling for illness duration, standardized antipsychotic dose, symptom scores, voxel grey matter content and voxel cerebrospinal fluid content. We found a significant correlation between reduced NAA/Cr ratios and poorer insight as measured with the BIS, which remained significant after additional correction for full width at half maximum, signal/noise and age. This is the first study reporting a relationship between lower prefrontal concentrations of a marker of neuronal integrity and impaired insight, providing further evidence that prefrontal pathology may play an important role in impaired insight in psychosis. This may be explained by the involvement of the prefrontal cortex in several executive and metacognitive functions, such as cognitive flexibility and perspective taking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daouia I Larabi
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Neuroscience, Neuroimaging Center, Antonius Deusinglaan 2, Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Edith J Liemburg
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Neuroscience, Neuroimaging Center, Antonius Deusinglaan 2, Groningen, The Netherlands; Lentis Psychiatric Institute, Hereweg 80, Groningen, The Netherlands; University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Rob Giel Research Center, Hanzeplein 1, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Gerdina H M Pijnenborg
- GGZ Drenthe, Department of Psychotic Disorders, Dennenweg 9, Assen, The Netherlands; University of Groningen, Department of Psychology, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Anita Sibeijn-Kuiper
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Neuroscience, Neuroimaging Center, Antonius Deusinglaan 2, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Annerieke E de Vos
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Neuroscience, Neuroimaging Center, Antonius Deusinglaan 2, Groningen, The Netherlands; GGZ Drenthe, Department of Psychotic Disorders, Dennenweg 9, Assen, The Netherlands
| | - Leonie Bais
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Neuroscience, Neuroimaging Center, Antonius Deusinglaan 2, Groningen, The Netherlands; Lentis Psychiatric Institute, Hereweg 80, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Henderikus Knegtering
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Neuroscience, Neuroimaging Center, Antonius Deusinglaan 2, Groningen, The Netherlands; Lentis Psychiatric Institute, Hereweg 80, Groningen, The Netherlands; University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Rob Giel Research Center, Hanzeplein 1, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Branislava Ćurčić-Blake
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Neuroscience, Neuroimaging Center, Antonius Deusinglaan 2, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - André Aleman
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Neuroscience, Neuroimaging Center, Antonius Deusinglaan 2, Groningen, The Netherlands; University of Groningen, Department of Psychology, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, Groningen, The Netherlands
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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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Chen CK, Lin SK, Chen YC, Huang MC, Chen TT, Ree SC, Wang LJ. Persistence of psychotic symptoms as an indicator of cognitive impairment in methamphetamine users. Drug Alcohol Depend 2015; 148:158-64. [PMID: 25601645 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.12.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2014] [Revised: 12/31/2014] [Accepted: 12/31/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prolonged exposure to methamphetamine (meth) has neurotoxic effects and impairs neurocognitive functions. This study aims to ascertain whether meth users who experience persistent psychosis suffer more severe cognitive impairment than those not experiencing persistent psychosis. METHODS This cross-sectional study includes 252 participants: 25 meth users without psychosis (METH-P), 50 with brief psychosis (METH+BP), and 56 with persistent psychosis (METH+PP), as well as 54 patients with schizophrenia and 67 healthy controls. The neurocognitive function and clinical psychopathology of each patient were evaluated with the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), respectively. RESULTS All cognitive domains evaluated with BACS (verbal memory, working memory, motor speed, verbal fluency, attention and processing speed, executive function, and composite scores) in METH+PP patients were similar to those in the schizophrenia patients and were worse than those in METH-P, METH+BP, and the healthy control subjects. Furthermore, cognitive functioning in meth users that did not experience persistent psychosis showed no statistically significant difference compared with the healthy control subjects. Among the meth users in this study, the negative symptom scores in the BPRS correlated to cognitive performance on the BACS, with the exception of motor speed. CONCLUSIONS Meth users display heterogeneity in their psychotic symptoms and cognitive profiles. Therefore, persistent psychotic symptoms may denote a risk for cognitive decline among meth users. Further longitudinal studies should be performed in the future to clarify the causal relationship between cognitive deficits and the development of persistent psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Ken Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan; Chang Gung University School of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Ku Lin
- Taipei City Hospital and Psychiatric Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Chih Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan; Chang Gung University School of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Chy Huang
- Taipei City Hospital and Psychiatric Center, Taipei, Taiwan; Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Ting Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital Yun-Lin Branch, Yun-Lin, Taiwan
| | - Shao Chun Ree
- Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan; Chang Gung University School of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Liang-Jen Wang
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
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Knott V, Smith D, de la Salle S, Impey D, Choueiry J, Beaudry E, Smith M, Saghir S, Ilivitsky V, Labelle A. CDP-choline: effects of the procholine supplement on sensory gating and executive function in healthy volunteers stratified for low, medium and high P50 suppression. J Psychopharmacol 2014; 28:1095-108. [PMID: 25315828 DOI: 10.1177/0269881114553254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Diminished auditory sensory gating and associated neurocognitive deficits in schizophrenia have been linked to altered expression and function of the alpha-7 nicotinic acetycholinergic receptor (α7 nAChR), the targeting of which may have treatment potential. Choline is a selective α7 nAChR agonist and the aim of this study was to determine whether cytidine 5'-diphosphocholine (CDP-choline), or citicoline, a dietary source of choline, increases sensory gating and cognition in healthy volunteers stratified for gating level. In a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind design involving acute administration of low, moderate doses (500 mg, 1000 mg) of CDP-choline, 24 healthy volunteers were assessed for auditory gating as indexed by suppression of the P50 event-related potential (ERP) in a paired-stimulus (S1, S2) paradigm, and for executive function as measured by the Groton Maze Learning Task (GMLT) of the CogState Schizophrenia Battery. CDP-choline improved gating (1000 mg) and suppression of the S2 P50 response (500 mg, 1000 mg), with the effects being selective for individuals with low gating (suppression) levels. Tentative support was also shown for increased GMLT performance (500 mg) in low suppressors. These preliminary findings with CDP-choline in a healthy, schizophrenia-like surrogate sample are consistent with a α7 nAChR mechanism and support further trials with choline as a pro-cognitive strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verner Knott
- Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Dylan Smith
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Danielle Impey
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Joelle Choueiry
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Elise Beaudry
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Meaghan Smith
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Salman Saghir
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Vadim Ilivitsky
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Alain Labelle
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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Buchmann A, Dentico D, Peterson MJ, Riedner BA, Sarasso S, Massimini M, Tononi G, Ferrarelli F. Reduced mediodorsal thalamic volume and prefrontal cortical spindle activity in schizophrenia. Neuroimage 2014; 102 Pt 2:540-7. [PMID: 25139002 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2014] [Revised: 07/29/2014] [Accepted: 08/09/2014] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We recently found marked deficits in sleep spindles, non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep oscillations that are generated within the thalamus and then amplified and sustained in the cortex, in patients with schizophrenia compared to both healthy and psychiatric controls. Here, we investigated the thalamic and cortical contributions to these sleep spindle deficits. METHODS Anatomical volume of interest analysis (i.e., thalamic volumes) and electroencephalogram (EEG) source modeling (i.e., spindle-related cortical currents) were performed in patients with schizophrenia and healthy comparison subjects. FINDINGS Schizophrenia patients had reduced mediodorsal (MD) thalamic volumes, especially on the left side, compared to healthy controls, whereas whole thalami and lateral geniculate nuclei did not differ between groups. Furthermore, left MD volumes were strongly correlated with the number of scalp-recorded spindles in an anterior frontal region, and cortical currents underlying these anterior frontal spindles were localized in the prefrontal cortex, in Brodmann area (BA) 10. Finally, prefrontal currents at the peak of spindle activity were significantly reduced in schizophrenia patients and correlated with their performance in an abstraction/working memory task. CONCLUSION Altogether, these findings point to deficits in a specific thalamo-cortical circuitry in schizophrenia, which is associated with some cognitive deficits commonly reported in those patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Simone Sarasso
- Department of Psychiatry, University of WI-Madison, USA; Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Milan, Italy
| | - Marcello Massimini
- Department of Psychiatry, University of WI-Madison, USA; Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Milan, Italy
| | - Giulio Tononi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of WI-Madison, USA
| | - Fabio Ferrarelli
- Department of Psychiatry, University of WI-Madison, USA; Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Milan, Italy.
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Glutamatergic abnormalities in schizophrenia: a review of proton MRS findings. Schizophr Res 2014; 152:325-32. [PMID: 24418122 PMCID: PMC3951718 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2013.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2013] [Revised: 12/16/2013] [Accepted: 12/18/2013] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The last fifteen years have seen a great increase in our understanding of the role of glutamate in schizophrenia (SCZ). The glutamate hypothesis focuses on disturbances in brain glutamatergic pathways and impairment in signaling at glutamate receptors. Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) is an MR-based technique that affords investigators the ability to study glutamate function by measuring in vivo glutamatergic indices in the brains of individuals with SCZ. (1)H-MRS studies have been performed comparing glutamatergic levels of individuals with SCZ and healthy control subjects or studying the effect of antipsychotic medications on glutamatergic levels. In this article we summarize the results of these studies by brain region. We will review the contribution of (1)H-MRS studies to our knowledge about glutamatergic abnormalities in the brains of individuals with SCZ and discuss the implications for future research and clinical care.
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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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