Cerebral glucography with positron tomography. Use in normal subjects and in patients with schizophrenia.
Local cerebral uptake of deoxyglucose labeled with fluorine 18 was measured by positron-emission tomography in eight patients with schizophrenia who were not receiving medication and in six age-matched normal volunteers. Subjects sat in an acoustically treated, darkened room with eyes closed after injection of 3 to 5 mCi of deoxyglucose 18F. After uptake, seven to eight horizontal brain scans parallel to the canthomeatal line were done. Scans were treated digitally, with a 2.3-cm strip peeled off each slice and ratios to whole-slice activity computed. Patients with schizophrenia showed lower ratios in the frontal cortex, indicating relatively lower glucose use than normal control subjects; this was consistent with previously reported studies of regional cerebral blood flow. Patients also showed diminished ratios for a 2.3-cm square that was positioned over central gray-matter areas on the left but not on the right side. These findings are preliminary; issues of control of mental activity, brain structure identification, and biologic and anatomic heterogeneity of schizophrenia remain to be explored.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D003847:Deoxyglucose / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000379:methods*
D001786:Blood Glucose; D003847:Deoxyglucose