title: Temporal lobe proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of patients with first-episode psychosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The authors measured the ratio of N-acetyl aspartate (a putative neuronal marker) to creatine-phosphocreatine in patients with first-episode psychosis by using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Temporal lobe 1H MRS was performed bilaterally on 13 patients with first-episode psychosis and 15 comparison subjects. The N-acetyl aspartate/creatine-phosphocreatine and choline/creatine-phosphocreatine ratios were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The N-acetyl aspartate/creatine-phosphocreatine ratio of the psychotic patients was significantly lower than that of the comparison subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These preliminary data suggest that abnormalities in temporal lobe N-acetyl aspartate concentration are present early in psychotic illness.
authors.affiliation: McLean Brain Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02178.
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Renshaw
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Yurgelun-Todd
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tohen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gruber
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis; D002794:Choline / Q000032:analysis; D003404:Creatinine / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D010725:Phosphocreatine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D010725:Phosphocreatine; D001224:Aspartic Acid; C025403:phosphocreatinine; C000179:N-acetylaspartate; D003404:Creatinine; D002794:Choline