Limbic dysfunction in schizophrenia and mania. A study using 18F-labelled fluorodeoxyglucose and positron emission tomography.
BACKGROUND
Diagnostic classes (derived from CATEGO) can be correlated with regional brain metabolism in patients with major psychiatric disorders.


METHODS
Seventeen patients with schizophrenia, 15 with mania, 10 with depression and 10 healthy Volunteers were examined with positron emission tomography (PET) and 18F-labelled fluorodeoxyglucose, as a marker for glucose metabolism. The number of possible comparisons of regions of interest was reduced by principal-components analysis, and differences in factor scores were determined between diagnostic groups.


RESULTS
Four independent factors, representing distributed brain systems, emerged: an anterior-posterior (1), a left-right temporal (2), a temporofrontal (3), and a mediofrontal (4) system, of which (1), (2) and (3) were abnormal in schizophrenia, (1) and (2) in mania, and (1) in depression.


CONCLUSIONS
Abnormal patterns of metabolism could be detected, in decreasing order, in schizophrenia, mania and depression. Some of these abnormalities are likely to be due to medication, but others will be associated with structural or functional abnormalities of the frontolimbic system in the diagnostic groups.
Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Wales College of Medicine, Wrexham.
A H
AH
al-Mousawi
N
N
Evans
K P
KP
Ebmeier
D
D
Roeda
F
F
Chaloner
G W
GW
Ashcroft
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003847:Deoxyglucose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008032:Limbic System / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
D001786:Blood Glucose; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D003847:Deoxyglucose